


No More Heroes

by AvrilDiAmant



Series: Dormancy [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: #letAdrieneat2k16, Aftermath, Alternate Universe, Angst, Bittersweet, Comfort Food, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Let Adrien Eat, Multi, Reveal, multiple characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-06-07 19:59:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 52,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6821905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvrilDiAmant/pseuds/AvrilDiAmant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Gabriel leaves on a mission to find his missing wife, Adrien takes over Agreste Designs as CEO just as Marinette accepts an internship with a rival fashion company.<br/>Marinette seems to be plagued with an inordinate amount of bad luck.  Bullied by a jaded personal assistant and hounded by family and friends to move into a better neighborhood, still she manages to make time for the people that need her the most.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sequel to All Good Things.<br/>Warning:  May cause you to feel</p>
<p>I would like to thank my Beta Readers @ace-fox and @fuchsrenard on tumblr.</p>
<p>Sequel to All Good Things.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rooftops and Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Hello to all of my new readers and welcome back to my old ones!  
> Thank you for taking the time to look at this fic.  
> I'm always grateful for any feedback.  
> I've had several life events and weird happenstances occur to slow down my original posting schedule.  
> Not to worry, this story is planned out to the end, it's just a matter of having the time between classes to flesh it out.   
> On the plus side, you can also tell that all of my social media posting has been restricted during this hiatus and I am not being distracted by posting other fics or projects.

 

            The stars clustered throughout the dark blanket overhead.  Off in the distance, the glow of the city could be seen.  Two figures sat side by side on a tiled roof, just starring up at the night sky. 

            “Do you ever miss it?”  A petite young woman with dark hair dressed in black sweat pants and an oversized white t-shirt turned to look at the blonde man that sat next to her.  He turned his attention to her, and his green eyes stared into her blue ones.

            “Honestly?”  He thought for a moment, then stretched, wrinkling the white dress shirt and grey suit pants he wore.  He made the movement a smooth transition to placing his head in her lap.  “We’re both sitting on a roof in the middle of the night.  I think we both do.”

            “Yes, but do you miss all the other stuff?”  She looked down at him.  He smiled up at her.

            “I can definitely say I prefer how things are now, My Lady.”  His smile shifted into a mischievous grin as she began stroking under his chin.

            “Seems like my kitty is getting a bit scruffy.”  She teased.

            “My PR manager wants to go with a more rugged look.”  He rolled his eyes.  “Apparently, he thinks I’ll do better as a ‘Bad Boy’.” He threw his fingers up in quotes at the label.

            “If only they knew how little that actually describes you.”  She replied lightly.  “Not sure that I like it though.”

            “I didn’t complain when you cut off your pigtails.”  He countered from his prone position.

            “It’s hard to be taken seriously in the fashion industry when you keep the same hairstyle you had in high school.”  She placed her finger on the tip of his nose.  “Still, why are they going for the ‘Bad Boy’ look with you anyway?” 

            He frowned a bit at her question.

            “It’s not like you’ve allowed me to go public with our relationship, despite my protests.”  He pointed out.  “Being considered a trade magazine’s ‘Most Eligible Bachelor’ doesn’t necessarily lend itself to the image of a proper gentleman.”

            “Adrien,” Her voice got serious. “I want to make my own way in the fashion industry.  You’re so tied to Agreste Designs, I don’t want people to think that I only made it because of my connection to you.” 

            Adrien sat up in an attempt to get on her level.

            “Which doesn’t explain why you declined the offer of an internship, only to go with a lower end company.”  He looked at her hard. 

            “Lyon Creations is your biggest competitor, it’s not that low-end.”  She countered.  “Besides, if we were to go public now, what about when I try to get a job?” 

            “Marinette, I’ve been waiting three years.”  He tilted his head.  “And I’ll continue to wait as long as you need it, but I’d rather be walking around with you on my arm as well as hanging out on a roof all night.” 

            She smiled at him and punched his shoulder.  It had been three years.  Three years since they defeated Papillion and their powers went dormant.  It had been a very tough time for her.  Due to her refusal to reveal themselves to each other, they had parted ways without knowing who the other was, and without saying goodbye.

            Losing Tikki and Chat in the same night had put an incredible weight on her soul.  Marinette couldn’t confide in anyone and felt like she was left to suffer in loneliness.  Adrien had offered her unexpected comfort while dealing with the loss.  She thought he understood what she was dealing with due to his mother’s disappearance.  Neither of them realized they were dealing with the same problem for some time.

            It had been Adrien that figured it all out first.  After revealing his own identity to her, they were able to more openly confide in and console each other.  Outside of their separation, there had been a lot of trauma to deal with from their years as teenage superheroes that they hadn’t been able talk to anyone else about.  The people in their lives saw them creating a deep friendship, but the two never officially dated.  They would go on group dates, but no public shows of affection. 

            Outside of the public eye, the two were inseparable.  They were partners and best friends in every aspect of life.  Adrien had spent so much time at her parent’s house that it felt weirder when he wasn’t there.  He even had his own room in their home. Her parents had practically adopted him, but never pushed them about their relationship.  Even on the odd occasion that he would end up slipping into her room at night so that he could be closer to her.

            Without the distraction of being Ladybug, Marinette had become focused on her career and wanted to prove that she could do it on her own talent and tenacity.  When she asked him if he would be okay with keeping their relationship private, he simply smiled and said he would always follow her lead.

            After finishing school, Adrien had become the public face for Agreste Designs.  Gabriel Agreste’s reclusive habits in the past had done a lot to damage the reputation of the family company.  Adrien now did all official interviews and public appearances that would have normally been put off by his father.  He even had an entire team dedicated to his public persona.  His modeling career had prepared him for dealing with the public, but he worked mostly on the business end of it all, now.

            He supported her in every way and she had no idea what she even brought into their relationship, but thanked her lucky stars that they had found each other.

            “Speaking of internships.”  She said.  “It wouldn’t look good if I were late on the first day.” 

            “So you’re going to just leave me out in the cold?”  He pouted in her direction. 

            “Silly kitty,” she stood up and offered her hand to him.  “Don’t you need to make an appearance at the mansion tonight?”

            He took her hand to stand, then used it to pull her towards him.  He wrapped his hands around her waist and brought his lips down to hers.  When he pulled away he looked into her eyes as he kept his forehead against hers.

            “Not like there’s anyone there to see me.”  He said.  “I’d rather be here with you.”

            Marinette just smiled and extricated herself from his arms.  She walked over to the open skylight a few feet away.  She disappeared through it, and when he didn’t follow she popped her head out.

            “Coming, mon chaton?” She grinned even wider as he ran in her direction.  She ducked out of the way as he jumped through the opening and landed on the bed directly below it.

            Marinette stepped back up to close the skylight, then turned to look at him. 

            “Are you trying to wake the downstairs neighbors?”  She chided. 

            “I still don’t know why you won’t let me get you a bigger place in the city.  This tiny flat is not worthy of your presence.”  He said through pouty lips.  “It’s also pretty far from where you’re interning.”

            “Yeah, well, it’s what a third-year fashion student can afford.”  She said.

            “Your bed is in the kitchen.”  He replied flatly.  “You’re lucky the bathroom is walled in.”

            “And how much cooking do I do?”  Marinette said before slipping into the mentioned bathroom. 

            Adrien stretched out on the mattress and kicked off his shoes.  Marinette stepped out of the bathroom and looked at him lying on the bed.

            “There is no way I’m letting you fall asleep in a designer shirt that you have to wear out of here tomorrow.”  She pointed at him and marched over.  He just lay there grinning as she began unbuttoning the shirt.  She was very methodical, as she reached the last button she stood back and beckoned with her hand.  “Hand it over.”

            He pouted and sat up to remove it.  He handed it over and was left wearing the white undershirt.  He then reached down and stripped off his pants.  Leaving only a pair of black boxers.  He balled them up and threw them all at her.

            “That wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as it should have been.”  He pouted.

            “I’m tired, and now I’m getting up earlier to make sure your clothes are in proper order for tomorrow.”  She hung the items in a depression in the wall that acted as her closet.

            “Will you at least do me the honor of giving you a ride to your first day?”  He asked.  “It is on my way.” 

            “I don’t see any harm in that.” She approached the bed and slid under the sheets.  Adrien let her get comfortable before laying down and wrapping himself around her.  He cradled her head against his chest.  The sound of his heartbeat relaxing her to sleep led to her steady breathing that did the same for him.


	2. Coffee and Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien suffers residual side effects from previous Akuma possessions.

            The world didn’t look quite right.  Everything looked like a black and white movie reel.  Adrien was seeing the world through his own eyes, but he was not in control of his body.  He was perched on the edge of a fountain.  He could feel the power of cataclysm in his hand.  He watched as his vision filled with Ladybug.  Before he’d had a chance to take in everything that was going on, he felt himself rushing forward, intent on hitting her with his destructive power.  Just as he was about to connect, he felt his body jerk.

            “Adrien.”  He heard Marinette’s voice.  “Wake up!  Wake up!  It’s all a dream!”

            Everything went black.  He felt himself blinking, slowly his vision was returning.  Marinette filled his view.  Her eyes wide with worry.  As his eyes were opening, she searched them for recognition.  She knew he was back when he pulled her into his chest. 

            “How long have the nightmares been back?”  He could hear the concern in her voice.

            “They only happen when I’m away from you.”  He answered breathily.  His shirt was moist with sweat, and his hair was plastered to his head.  “I don’t know why it happened, this time.”

            “I got up to go to the bathroom.”  She replied.  “Is this why you’ve been so adamant about staying every night?”

            He buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply.  The smell of her shampoo calming him down.  The nightmares had started about a year after the defeat of Papillion.  It wasn’t just Adrien that had been affected.  Anyone that had been Akumatized, or been controlled as a result of their power was suffering from memories resurfacing.  It appeared that the magic that had made the two of them into heroes had only masked the memories of Papillion’s victims.  There had been support groups formed to deal with the fallout, but the two of them couldn’t exactly attend any of these meetings.

            For Adrien, they had manifested as nightmares.  They were what lead to him sneaking into her room at night while they were still teenagers.  As long as he was in contact with her, the nightmares wouldn’t come.  He’d often thrown himself in front of an attack that would lead to him being possessed.  There was no shortage of memories to come bubbling to the surface.

            “Yeah.”  He kept his grip tight around her.

            “So, when you aren’t here….”  She left the statement.

            “I don’t sleep.”  He said.  “The screams were waking the staff.  A lot of questions were being asked.  It was suggested I see a psychologist, but you know I can’t do that.”

            “Why didn’t you tell me?”  Her concern weighed heavily on him.

            “You work so hard.  I didn’t want you worrying about me.”  His heartbeat had begun to even out and he was gaining more control over his breathing. 

            “This explains why you always crash the moment you return from your business trips.”  She pulled away from him.  “I wish you would have just told me.  I was under the impression that they had stopped.”

            “So was I, but we spent so much time together that I didn’t know until work caused us to spend extended time apart.”  He admitted.  “It doesn’t happen every night, but it has been worse recently.”

            Marinette shifted enough so that she could see the clock.

            “It doesn’t look like either of us is getting anymore sleep tonight.”  She slowly pulled away from him.  “Go get a shower, I’ll put on some coffee.”

            He pulled her in for one last squeeze and made his way into the tiny bathroom.  It was only a few steps from the bed, so it didn’t take much energy to get there.  He shut the door and turned on the shower.  Looking at the showerhead, he sighed.  This might work for his petite lady, but the water would only hit him from the shoulder down if he didn’t duck.    At least the water was hot. 

            Marinette stepped up to the counter and began prepping the kettle.  While the water heated she pulled out the press and placed the grounds at the bottom of the container.  She walked over to the closet and pulled out Adrien’s clothes and an iron. 

            There was an ironing board built into the wall.  That and the skylight were why she had settled on this place in particular.  It was smaller than the room she had at her parent’s house, but it was all hers.  She busied herself with ironing his clothes and hung the garments on the door handle. 

            The kettle whistled and the water shut off almost simultaneously.  She was pouring hot water into the press when she heard the bathroom door open and shut as he grabbed his clothes. She waited for the coffee to brew, feeling a bit guilty that he hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her about the nightmares. 

            She had dreams on occasion, but she wouldn’t necessarily call them nightmares.  She had never been taken in any way by an Akuma, but there were still fights that stuck in her mind.  Times when she was scared that she had lost Chat.  She had the dual timeline memories from when Alix had been possessed.  She knew, that there was a time that he had quite literally given his life for hers and often had to remind herself that he was alive, even when he was standing right in front of her. 

            As Adrien opened the bathroom door, the smell of coffee reached his nostrils.  He turned to see Marinette leaning against the counter near the stove.  He walked over and took her into his arms. 

            “You’ve always been my sun, my warmth, my everything.”  He squeezed her tighter.  “Even before I knew who you were, I knew what you were to me.  Whatever you do, DO NOT blame yourself for this.”  He stepped back from their embrace.

            “What I do want you to do is go get ready for your big day.”  He kissed her forehead. “I’ll finish the coffee.”

            “I love you too, kitty cat.”  She replied as she turned to gather her clothes from the closet and headed into the bathroom. 

            Adrien reached into the small open shelf that sat above the counter.  He pulled out two mugs, one black and one white.  He pressed the plunger for the coffee and distributed it between the two mugs.  To the white cup he added two teaspoons of sugar, then turned to the fridge. 

            Inside of the fridge was littered with take-out containers.  Glancing around, he found a small container of cream.  The only grocery item inside.  He poured the last of it into his coffee, making it closer to a shade of white than brown. 

            Everything about this place depressed him.  She deserved so much better than this, and he could give it to her.  He understood where she was coming from.  He’d been around the fashion industry his whole life. He knew that how you were perceived could make or break you, and your competition usually fought for the latter.  It was the reason he was working so hard to keep up the image of his father’s company. 

            Nobody else except Marinette knew, but his father had been involved with Papillion.  Well, before Papillion had powers, anyway.  The man had something to do with his mother’s disappearance and his father had become a recluse out of fear of what that man could do.  While defeated, no one could ever figure out the identity of this man.  Now that Papillion was gone, Gabriel Agreste had made it a personal mission to go out and find his missing wife.  He had been doing research for years, and now felt it was safe enough to leave the mansion. 

            While it seemed like Adrien was only playing the face of the company, he was actually running it, and that was something that he did not want leaking out to the press.  The only person who was aware of this end of the business was Nathalie, and he was happy to have her to act as a buffer to keep up the façade.  If word were to get out that he was anything more than the poster boy, the press would have a field day and what little privacy he had would be out the window.

            He was rummaging through his thoughts when Marinette emerged from the bathroom. 

            “How is it you always look so gorgeous?”  He asked her.

            “It’s the power of the pixie.”  She pointed to her short hair.  She was dressed in a white collared shirt with cap sleeves and a charcoal pencil skirt.  She had on nude hose and black flats. 

            “You look very professional.”  He stated and offered her the white mug of coffee.  “Are you sure I still can’t convince you to come work for me instead?”

            “You keep saying ‘work’ implying that you’d be paying me a decent wage.”  She took a sip of coffee.  “That’s not how an internship works.”

            “Maybe that’s how they do it at second-rate companies.”  He joked.  “You should probably make sure to take some extra pens and a pad of paper.”

            “For all my industry notes?”  She asked.

            “No, for lunch and coffee orders.”  He said flatly.  “I can guarantee that is all you will be doing, nothing more than a glorified waitress to those hacks.”

            “And how would it be different at your company?” She lifted an eyebrow at him.

            “You would be _my_ glorified waitress.”  He winced in false pain as she stepped up and playfully punched him in the shoulder. 

            They finished their coffee in a comfortable silence.  Marinette put the mugs in the sink, and Adrien looked at his watch.

            “It seems we have some extra time this morning.”  He stated.  “Would you like to grab some breakfast on the way in?”

            “Do you know anywhere that’s open this early?” She asked.

            “Yep,” He replied. “And I happen to know that they make the best croissants.”


	3. Croissants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nice breakfast, Adrien is caught sneaking in, and Marinette starts her internship.

            When Adrien pulled up to her parent’s bakery, she smiled widely.  Even though she talked to her parents almost every day, she hadn’t had time to come see them in the past few weeks.  It was a nice surprise to offset how the day had begun. 

            She was the first one through the door.  The bell made a cheerful ding.  It was her favorite part of the morning growing up.  While the city was barely waking up, her parents had been baking for hours.  The air smelled as warm and fluffy as the delicious treats they were preparing. 

            “Welcome!  I’ll be with you in just a moment.”  Sabine’s voice drifted from the back.  The older woman that came around the corner looked strikingly similar to Marinette.  She was slightly shorter than her daughter, and was looking down, wiping her hands on her apron. 

            “I apologize for the…..”  She was cut off when she saw who stood before her in the store.  She buzzed around the counter and grabbed both of them in a tight hug.

             “Tom!  The kids are here!”  She shouted back to her husband. 

            The broad chested man had to duck a little to make it through the door frame.  At nearly seven feet, he was about a head taller than Adrien.  He had dark brown hair with a matching moustache. He had green eyes that smiled when he took in the visitors.  He stepped around the counter, hugged his daughter and gave Adrien a firm pat on the back.

            “To what do we owe this honor?”  Tom asked.

            “Today, I start my internship at Lyon Creations.”  Marinette stated.

            “Really?”  Sabine seemed confused.  “When you mentioned internship, I guess I just assumed you would be working with Adrien.” 

            “She wants to find her own way.”  Adrien stated.

            “Well, then, can you make sure that she finds her way to a celebratory dinner on Friday night?”  Tom asked. 

            “Most certainly.”  Adrien promised. 

            “I don’t know, Marinette, are you free on Friday?”  She brought her hands up as if they were talking to each other and mimicked a lower voice for the first one, then used the other to respond in her own voice.  “Certainly Papa! I would love to be there.”

            They all had a good chuckle, when Tom caught Adrien’s attention.

            “Do you have a minute to help me switch some stuff in and out of the ovens?  We can all sit and have breakfast afterwards.” 

            “Yes, sir.”  Adrien stood at attention and gave a salute before following the larger man back to the bakery.  As soon as they were out of earshot, Sabine turned to her daughter.

            “Is he still having the nightmares?”  She asked.  “It doesn’t look like he’s sleeping.”

            “How do you know about those?”  Marinette looked positively shocked.

            “He practically lived here for two years before you moved out on your own.  He would start screaming in the middle of the night.  It’s why we never said anything when he would crawl into your bed.  They always seemed to stop when he slept there.”  She stated.  “It started around the time everyone’s memories were coming back.  I honestly don’t know how you slept through it the first time it happened.  We thought he was having some sort of seizure.  Your father had to hold him down to keep from hurting himself.”

            “Yeah,” Marinette admitted. “He still has them, sometimes.”

            “I’m not sure exactly what he went through,” Sabine said, “but they have groups out there to help with it.  I just want you both to be happy and safe.” 

            “It’s a little more complicated than that, Mama…”  Marinette started.

            “I know, I know.  Someone in his position, especially when you’re the ‘Most Eligible Bachelor’.”  Sabine threw up finger quotes.

            “Mama…”

            “Hey, I read.”  She responded. “I read, and I worry.”

            “Ok, Mama.”  Marinette sighed, and hugged her mother.

            Adrien came around the corner at that moment, carrying a basket of assorted pastries and baked goods.  They all sat around a small table in the bakery office enjoying each other’s company.  The bakery started to get its morning rush of customers and they all said their goodbyes.

            As soon as they stepped out of the door, Marinette turned to Adrien.

            “It’s a nice morning.  I think I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

            “Are you sure, it’s no problem to take you.”  He said.

            “You need to get home and put on fresh clothes.”  She said.  “The last thing you want to get caught doing is showing up to work with the same clothes two days in a row.”

            “Point taken, but only if I can pick you up from work tonight.  We’ll have your favorite take-out and you can tell be all about the coffee orders you take today.”  He grinned as he said it.

            “Deal.”  She said and turned down the opposite street to make her way to Lyon Creations.

            Adrien walked back to his car, hands in his pockets.  He whistled a little as he opened the door to the black sedan and slid inside.  It was one of many that were in his father’s motor pool.  Windows darkened so that no one could see inside. 

            When he pulled up to the mansion, he was pleasantly surprised to see only a handful of people waiting out at the gate.  He pulled in easily knowing none of them would know who was pulling in at this hour.  He parked in the garage and used the private entrance to step inside.

            He made his way through the large empty building.  When he reached for his doorknob, a voice came from behind him.

            “Good morning, Mr. Agreste.”  Nathalie spoke sternly, but politely.  Her ever-present bun sat tightly a top her head.  “I’ll take you had a nice evening.”

            “Nathalie, I’ve already told you.  Please call me Adrien.  Mr. Agreste is my Dad.”  He turned and smiled at her. “And yes, it was a great evening.  Not such a good morning.”

            “At least she’s responsible enough to return you pressed and early enough to keep you on schedule.”  Nathalie observed.  Her own navy suit was impeccable.   “Have you told her about your shift in responsibilities yet?”

            “No.”  Adrien sighed. He thought he was better at keeping secrets. “She doesn’t need that kind of pressure.”

            “Eventually, we are going to have to reveal this information to the Board of Director’s.  Don’t you think she’d like to hear it from you instead of on the news?”

            “I was going to tell her, when she accepted the internship……”  His brow furrowed.  “But she’s so stubborn, she went with the offer from Lyon.”

            “If I’m not mistaken, that same attitude is one of the reasons you’ve latched onto her all those years ago.”

            “Nathalie, when did you figure it out?” 

            “You practically moved in with her while you were still in school.  Your father had me keep tabs on you before all of this happened.  I just assumed you’ve been with the same girl all along.”

            “So, my father knows too?”

            “He trusts your judgement, but he also understands why you have not made it public knowledge.  It’s not just her reputation on the line, but the Agreste name as well.  He only hopes you’ll get her in our employ before another company snatches her up.”

            Adrien reached out and placed his hand on Nathalie’s shoulder. 

            “Thank you.”

            “You need to get changed before you fall behind.”  She turned around and left him in front of his bedroom door.

***

            Marinette stepped up to the entrance of Lyon Creations.  It looked like any of the many office buildings lining the Paris streets, but she knew that this one held her future.  Taking a deep breath, she took the few steps in front of the building and walked in through the large metal entrance door.

            There was a receptionist sitting at a half moon desk a few scant feet from the entrance.  Everything was decorated in a minimalist style that utilized black, white, and stainless steel.  She approached the desk.  All she could see of the receptionist was the top of her blonde head as she was looking down at some sort of magazine.

            “Hello, I’m the new intern, Mari….”

            “Go to floor seven, look for Nichole.”  The receptionist never even looked up and pointed at the elevator behind her.

            “Thank you.”  Marinette stepped onto the elevator.  The stainless steel theme extended to the elevator itself.  She pressed the button for the seventh floor and rode it up.  When she stepped out the door had opened to a single hallway that ended in another reception area and a pair of frosted glass double doors. 

            A woman with long mousey brown hair and glasses sat at the desk.  She was dressed in a black suit with a green shell under her jacket.

            “Hello, I’m Mari….”

            “Here’s everyone’s regular order, you have thirty minutes before everyone arrives.”  The woman shoved a piece of paper in Marinette’s face.

            “I think you might be confused, I’m interning here, I was told to find Nichole?”

            “I’m Nichole,” She repositioned the sheet in Marinette’s face.  “Aaaannnnnd this is everyone’s regular coffee order.”

            “But I thought I would be meeting with Mme. Lyon today.” 

            With that, Nichole stood up to a height that was only two-inches taller than Marinette’s five-foot two-inch frame.

            “Mme.  Lyon barely has time for me, and I’m her personal assistant.  I can guarantee that she does not have time for an intern.”  She reached out, grabbed Marinette’s hand and slapped the piece of paper into it.  “And now, you have twenty-five minutes.”

            Marinette stood there for a moment, dumbfounded.

            “Go little birdie.”  Nichole fluttered out her hands.  “Go shoo, shoo.”

            Marinette turned around and headed right back out the way she came, shaking her head.  She was never going to live this down with Adrien.  She should have known that he would be right.

 


	4. Coquilles St. Jacques

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette finishes her first day as an intern, and meets a familiar face in line at the cafe.  
> Fair warning, you may tear up at the end.

            Adrien was bored out of his mind.  He’d spent the last hour overseeing a discussion about which shade of white the font should be on next month’s cover of their magazine for teen girls.  He was starting to see why his father had preferred working from home.  He only had to make the tough decisions, not sit through the whole tedious process. 

            He checked his watch.  It would be lunchtime soon.  He debated on whether or not he should try to meet up with Marinette for lunch.  Knowing she wouldn’t like the idea, he quickly pushed it away.  He’d give her the space she needed, even if it was more space than he wanted. 

A great idea popped into his head.  He had something to look forward to that would get him out of the office for this break after all.

***

            Marinette stood in line at the local café.  Apparently, this is where everyone came to get their lunches and she was at the end of the line of other interns here to feed their hungry co-workers back at the office.

            “Marinette?”  A familiar voice chirped up from behind her.  Marinette turned around.

            “Alya?”  Her eyes grew wide.  Her red-haired friend walked right up to her and gave her a hug.  She was in a heather grey pantsuit that complemented her dark olive skin. 

            “Girl, what are you up to?”  Alya asked.

            “Interning.”  Marinette said flatly. 

            “Me, too.”  She lifted a badge. “Kidz TV.  Let me guess, you’re at Agreste Designs.”

            “Lyon Creations.”  Marinette corrected.

            “Ouch.”  Alya said.  “Would have thought you would fight to work with Adrien.”

            “Trying to get by on my own talent.”

            “I hear you.”  Alya shrugged.  “I’ve been so busy with the LadyBlog that I’m usually too tired to worry about who I’m connected to.”

            “You still run the blog?”  Marinette was a little shocked.

            “Yeah, though it’s more of a forum to put Akuma victims in contact with the proper support groups.”  Alya explained.  “I get a little bit of funding from the city for it, but not enough to call it a career.”

            “Wow.”  Marinette was dumbfounded.

            “It’s how I’ve stayed in touch with everyone from school, we’ve all been Akumatized or effected by someone that was.”  Alya paused for a moment.  “Except for Chloe, Lila, you, and Adrien.  There’s an entire group dedicated to Chloe’s victims, so it’s understandable.  Lila never lost her memories in the first place, and has no issues with what she’s done.  That just leaves you and Adrien.  You were changed during that whole Dark Blade incident, weren’t you?”

            “Yeah.”  Marinette laughed nervously.  “But I was trapped in a barricaded room when it happened.  The only think I really remember is marching in a circle.”

            “Still,” Alya said.  “If you ever need to find someone to talk to about it, I can hook you up.”  She held out a card for Marinette.  “Ladybug and Cat Noir haven’t popped up at any of the groups either.  This has to be just as traumatic on them.  Forced to fight people that they may even know in real life.  Who knows what else?  I just hope they are getting any help they need.”

            The statement hung in the air.  Marinette got the feeling Alya knew more than she was letting on, but isn’t that how it had always been?  It was only just now Marinette realized that it had been a very long time since she had any contact with the very person she had once claimed was her best friend.

            “When did we stop talking to each other?”  Marinette asked. 

            “Around the time you figured out how to talk to Adrien.”  Alya stated, smiling as she said it.

            “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize.”  Marinette started to drop her head.

            “It’s fine,” Alya held up her hand.  “I did plenty talking with Nino, myself.  Besides, I had been trying to get you to say more than two words in front of him for so long, I shouldn’t have been surprised that you had a lot built up to talk about.  Then, I guess life.  I had to deal with the memories associated with all the times I became Lady Wi-Fi.  After that, I started using the LadyBlog as a tool for assistance.  There are people that have so much more to live with than I do.”

            The fact that there were issues she had to deal with were left unsaid.  Marinette placed a comforting hand on Alya’s shoulder.

            “We really need to hang out sometime, reconnect.”

            “Let’s just place these lunch orders and survive the summer, first.”  Alya smiled, threw up her thumb and gave Marinette a wink.

            “Deal.”

 

***

            Adrien had the plan all in place.  Pick her up, tease her a bit about her waitressing skills, then, a cozy dinner at her place.  After that, he would tell her.  He felt bad that this was another aspect of his life he had kept from her, but he didn’t have let her know how long it had been.  As long as he told her before the information was made official.  That’s what mattered.

            He was getting ready to leave when a sweaty gentleman in a grey suit stopped him.

            “Sir!  We have a problem!”

***

            Marinette stepped out of the building ready to end her day.  Even though she wore flats, her feet still killed her.  She made the decision right then and there that she was wearing sneakers from now on.  She looked around, but Adrien was nowhere to be found.  Her phone buzzed.  She picked it up.

            “Hello?”

            “Hey, something came up at work.  I’m going to be a bit late.  I ordered a car to take you home.  I’ll have a surprise there for you tonight.”  He seemed a bit agitated, at what she wasn’t sure.

            “Ok.  See you soon.”  She hung up the phone and looked up.

            Standing on the curb was a large bald gentleman holding a sign that said “My Lady.”

            “That would be me.”  She approached the large man.  He silently opened the door for her, then proceeded to get into the car and drive her home.

            Marinette thanked him when he pulled up to her building.  He opened the door for her, then drove away once she was safely through the entrance.  She climbed the four flights of stairs all the way to her door.  She took out the key and when she walked in, everything was how she had left it.  She looked around to see what might be different.

            She noticed the coffee mugs and press from this morning had been cleaned and put back in their rightful place.

            “Awe, he did the dishes.”  She smiled and kicked her shoes off at the door.   She took the handful of steps to her bed.  She fell back onto the unmade sheets and just reveled in their softness.  She wasn’t sure when she started to doze off, but was acutely aware of waking up to a knock on the door.  She sat up and looked around.  She could tell from the lack of light in the windows that it was later, but not sure how much.  She was going to give that man a piece of her mind for making her wait, but only after he had properly fed her.

            When she whipped open the door, it was not Adrien that greeted her, and her fake angry face had seemed to put off the man that was.  She quickly shifted her expression.

            “I’m sorry, I was expecting someone else!”  She forced a bigger smile.  “What can I do for you?”

            The man was dressed like a waiter and was holding a large cloth bag.  He held it out to her. 

            “I was told to bring this to you.”  He said.  “It’s Coquilles St. Jacques and Blanquette de Veau straight from the restaurant at Le Grand Paris.”

            She blinked at him.  It was her two favorite dishes from a restaurant that most certainly did not deliver.  She reached out for the bag and the gentleman took off without giving her a chance to tip.  She brought it in, and inside was a plain white card.

            “I’m sorry for being indisposed, I look forward to hearing all about your day.”

            She saw that the food was only enough for one person, and assumed this meant he would not be by until very late that night.  She ate the meal somberly.  Eating alone on her bed in her tiny place was so violently depressing when Adrien was not there.  The ultra-posh meal made it that much worse.  Most nights, they would eat on the roof, but she didn’t have the energy for that.  There had been a bottle of wine in the bag as well, but the last thing she ever wanted to see herself doing was drinking alone. 

            She cleaned up her meal, and grabbed a glass for some water from the tap.  She filled it and sipped at it slowly while leaning against the counter.  Staring at her closet from across the room.  Planning her outfit for the next day, she’d settled on a light pink mandarin collared shirt and grey slacks.  She had a pair of black sneakers she figured she could get away with wearing, even in a professional capacity.

            She pulled out her laptop and sat on the bed.  It had been years since she looked at the LadyBlog.  She typed in the address when the window popped up.

            “This is a safe-space for Akuma survivors.  No judgments allowed.  Do you accept these terms?”  A simple “Yes” and “No” button were at the bottom.  She clicked yes.    The layout was definitely different.  There was a room for victims of specific attacks, multiple attacks, even one just for people that had been Akumatized.

            She scrolled through the individual forums.  They all had varying degrees of members, but there was a room that caught her attention.  It had a single post.  Chronogirl.  Marinette clicked on it.  The only post seemed to be from Chronogirl herself. 

            “I don’t know if anyone has memories about me, but I have more than enough to go around.  I have the curse of remembering a world that no longer exists, where many of you no longer exist.  My power took life energy so that I could go back in time.  What I didn’t realize, is that it also took memories.

            I guess that’s what life really is, a stack of memories the make-up who we are.  I took so many, that I can’t always sort out who belongs to what memories.  On the nights I can sleep, it’s most often the last memories that pop up.  The one where they are running in terror, my face the last thing they see before everything goes black. 

            It really hurts, and I want everyone to know how sorry I am.  If anyone out there can remember.  I hope you’ll be able to heal.”

            A tear ran down Marinette’s face.  She understood, to a degree, what Alix was going through.  To have memories of the people from two timelines along with your own, had to be maddening.  She decided to respond.  She posted anonymously, Adrien had set up a proxy server and untraceable network in her place.  He would often work from there, and didn’t want people tracing him back to her.

            She typed only a simple sentence.

            “I forgive you.”

 

 


	5. And a Flat White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien makes breakfast.

              Adrien was beyond livid as he trudged up the steps to Marinette’s apartment, carrying a black suitcase in one hand.  When he reached the door, he noticed it was slightly ajar.  Panic quickly replaced his anger as he pushed open the door. 

              He scanned the inside of the apartment.  All was dark, except for the faint blue glow coming from the open laptop on the bed.  Marinette dozed, facing the screen.  Apparently, she had fallen asleep while waiting for him.  He entered the living space more fully, and placed his suitcase on the floor.  He turned and shut the door quietly.  Making sure to lock it for the night. 

              He quietly walked over to the bed and closed the laptop, moving it to the side table nearby.  It took him a moment to reach over and click on the small lamp that also occupied the table.  It gave off a weak yellowed glow.  It wasn’t much, but enough that he could see where he was walking without disturbing the figure on the bed. 

              Adrien stepped back toward the entrance and opened up his suitcase.  He pulled out a pair of black sleep pants and a matching tank top.  As quietly as he could, he changed into the sleepwear.  Not even bothering to walk into the tiny bathroom.  He stepped back over to the side table and clicked off the light. 

              He awkwardly tried to climb over the sleeping woman in the bed so that he could get behind her and lay down.  The sinking of the mattress caused her to shift in her sleep.

              “No…… _three_ skinny lattes and a flat white.”  She murmured, then turned over.

              Adrien chuckled to himself as he settled in and pulled up the quilt.  He used it to wrap the two of them up together.  Marinette instinctively burrowed into the warmth of his chest and gave a little sigh.  He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes for the night.

***

              Marinette woke up in stages.  It had to be her nose that activated first, because the smell of bacon turned on her stomach.  It was the growling of that stomach that woke up her brain, followed quickly by her eyes.  She blinked away the remaining sleep and looked to the stove.  Adrien had his back to her.  He had on black suit slacks and a white undershirt.  He appeared to be showered and was busying himself on her limited counter space. 

              “Oh my GOD!  What time is it?”  She yelped.  Adrien turned and smiled.

              “Don’t worry, it’s still early.  Your alarm hasn’t gone off yet.”  He smiled as he spoke.  Marinette grabbed her phone off of the side table.  It was just before five am.

              “Did you just get in?”  She asked confused.

              “Nope, got in late last night, you were already zonked.”  He responded.  “I got a few hours in before getting up to make you breakfast.”

              “It smells really good.”  She closed her eyes as she inhaled.  When she opened them again, she noted the suitcase.  “That’s a little big for just one night.  Are you going to hang around all week?”

              “Try a little longer….”  He began flipping the strips in the frying pan.  The grease sizzled and popped.

              “What?”  It was still too early for this kind of talk.  She wasn’t quite understanding him.

              “If Mohammed will not go to the mountain.”  He said wistfully.

              She glared at him trying to get his meaning.  Slowly she started to put it together in her head.

              “Did you just move in with me?”  She asked.

              “Surprise?”  He said through a cautious smile. 

              “How…..what….why?”  She began.  Adrien strode over to the bed and planted a kiss on her lips.

              “I already spend all my free time here, and since you won’t move into the city, I figured I’d just stay here.”

              “But the press, your image?”  She questioned.

              “Do you think any of them would be caught dead in this neighborhood?”  He cocked an eyebrow at her.  “Besides, I can use the back entrance to get things in and out of the mansion whenever I need them without anyone ever seeing me.”

              Marinette bit her bottom lip in thought.  Adrien stepped back over to the stove and began removing the bacon from the pan.  He turned to the fridge and opened the door.  Beyond his shoulder, she could see that the little box was filled with all sorts of things.

              “When did you go shopping?”  She asked, thankful for something else to talk about.

              “Yesterday, I was going to see if you wanted to have lunch, but decided to give you your space and get groceries instead.  The amount of take-out we’ve subjected ourselves to can’t be healthy.”  He pulled out a carton of eggs and cracked a few into the hot bacon grease.  They spat and sputtered on contact.

              “There’s something you aren’t telling me.”  She scrunched her face in thought.  “Out with it, kitty.”

              Adrien shifted in place a bit, then flipped the eggs.  She could tell that there was something big going on and he was not sure how to phrase it. 

              “You know how I’ve been fielding all the public stuff for Dad’s company?”  He began.

              “Yes…..”  She watched as he scooped the eggs out with a spatula and placed them on paper plates.  He split the bacon between the two and carried them over to the bed.  He handed her a plate and a plastic fork, then sat down on the bed next to her.

              “Well, it’s kind of more complicated than that.”  He pushed the food around on his plate, but made no effort to eat it.  “Dad left the country to go look for Mom.”

              Marinette was processing it all carefully, but gently urged him to go on.

              “He’s pretty much abandoned the whole company.  I’ve been holding it together for the last few months.  With Nathalie’s help.”  He looked into her eyes, but the expression was unreadable.  “She wants to make the announcement to the board about me officially taking over, but she’s been waiting on me to tell you.”

              “She knows about us?”  Marinette asked.

              “Not everything, just that we’ve been very close for a very long time.”  He said, and began cutting into an egg with the edge of his fork.  “Dad apparently knows too.  He hasn’t said anything to me, but one of the messages he sent through Nathalie spoke very highly of you and your talents.”

              Marinette lightly bit the inside of her cheek.

              “So, all of that joking about working for you…”

              “Wasn’t a joke at all.”  He popped the piece of egg into his mouth and studied her as she thought. 

              Instead of speaking right away she picked a piece of bacon off of her plate and began to eat.  Adrien wasn’t sure what was worse.  The angry yelling he’d expected, or the silence as she methodically picked apart her breakfast.  He felt a thick tension in the air that twisted his lower gut.  Suddenly, she reached toward him and his breath caught in his throat.  She plucked a piece of bacon off of his plate.

              “Hey!”  He mock scowled at her as she crunched on the crispy strip. 

              “Took too long.”  She said between licking grease from her fingers.

              “So, are we good?”  He asked.

              “I don’t really know how I should respond.”  She said candidly.  “I’m upset you kept it from me for this long, on top of everything else that has been happening. Still, at the same time, this isn’t a matter that I can have much of a voice in.”

              “What do you mean?”

              “Well, I don’t think I could keep you away, even if I wanted to.”  She was ticking off the points on her fingers.  “As far as your Dad’s….I mean _your_ company goes, it’s all a matter of whether or not you want it.  That’s your life, your career.  Though I don’t like that it kept us apart last night.  It must have been a big deal.”

              “Actually, there was no reason for me to be there.  There was a discrepancy in the fonts for one of our magazines.  Let’s just say I now know that there is a difference between Felix Titling and CINZEL.” He said flatly.

              “Which would be?”  She asked.

              He leaned forward and brought his face down to hers.

              “I just said I _know_ there’s one, not that I remembered what it was.”  He answered as he kissed her forehead.

              Marinette giggled and reached up to tap his nose.

              “ _I_ need to get ready to go.  Those coffees aren’t going to order themselves.”  She stood up and walked over to the closet to grab her preselected outfit.

              “So, you’re still going to stick with this internship?”  He stood and grabbed a jade green silk shirt out of his suitcase and threw it on the bed.

              “Yes,” she rolled her eyes, “and I’m going to hang up your clothes tonight, so they don’t get all wrinkled.  There should be some room in the closet.”

              Marinette strode into the bathroom and shut the door.  The sound of water pinging and rushing through the pipes told Adrien she had turned on the shower.  He cleaned up the mess from breakfast.  He reveled in the chance to do things like that himself.

              It was a habit Sabine had been happy to encourage when he stayed with them.  Giving her a hand in the kitchen, and the ritual of cleaning up afterwards.  Some nights, if the bakery had been very busy, he would make dinner while they worked downstairs.  Seeing them smile as they enjoyed something he had made gave him a sense of pride few other things had.

              When he finished tidying up, he put on the shirt.  He was buttoning it up when Marinette came out of the bathroom.  She smiled when she saw his eyes scan her over appreciatively.  Looking at her always made his heart flutter, and in that moment he was a teenager again.  He strode over to her quickly and pulled her in to a tight hug.  She wrapped her arms around his torso and they just stood, enjoying the closeness.

              “Some days, I can’t tell if I’m dreaming.  If you are really here. That I’ll wake up and you’ll have no clue who I am.”  He sighed into the top of her head, taking in the smell of her shampoo.  “Sometimes, I think this is just another trick from an Akuma. That I’ll be left wondering if that had been you the whole time or it was all a spell.”

              She could feel him sobbing softly, and squeezed him tighter.

              “I know the feeling, mon chaton.” She spoke into his chest.  “There are times were you’re in the next room, and I have to convince myself that you’ll still be there.”  She pushed off of him and looked up into his eyes.  “Do you think you could give me a ride?  We can spend a little more time like this if I don’t have to take the metro.”

              Adrien smiled down at her through red-rimmed teary eyes.

 


	6. Happiest Girl in The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some important things are discussed.

              Adrien dropped Marinette off in front of the Lyon Creations office, and waited at the curb until she was safely inside the building before pulling back into the morning traffic.  He knew, deep down, that there was way more for him and Marinette to talk about, there just hadn’t been time this morning to go over it. 

              One of the things that weighed heaviest on his mind was his and Marinette’s relationship.  They hadn’t touched on it, but he knew that it couldn’t be kept a secret much longer.  Up to this point he had only been attending small scale meetings and business trips.  Now, as the owner/CEO of one of the largest companies in the world he would be expected to appear in a lot more places for much longer periods of time.

              It would be hard to explain why a known bachelor had to have a specific woman go everywhere with him when she was of no relation and not in his employ.  That was a hurdle for later.  Maybe he could actually manage to finally convince her to go on a real date with him.

              He chuckled to himself, he was living with someone and they had never been seen together in public.  Considering he had fallen in love with her before he even knew her name, he figured this was par for the course.  In this case, a step back would be like taking a leap forward. 

              These thoughts were buzzing through his head as he made his way into his own office at Agreste Designs.  When he entered into the lobby, the receptionist smiled and waved from behind a glass desk that sat in front of a large natural stone feature wall.

              “Good morning, Mr. Agreste!”  The man’s hair was short and spiky.  The color was the same bright blue as his eyes.  He wore a pink vintage tee with faded skinny jeans.

              “Morning, Gavin.”  He returned the smile and waved.  Interactions like this were always awkward for Adrien.  He was barely twenty-one and Gavin was somewhere in his early thirties.  He wanted so badly to have people call him something else, but being on a first name basis with so many people also didn’t feel right.

              He strolled through the lobby, full of beiges and browns.  Accented occasionally by slate grays.  The whole area was designed to have an open and friendly feel.  “Friendly, yet fashionable” was the phrase most tossed around PR meetings.  All a part of cleaning up the company image. 

              He entered the elevator and it took him to the top floor.  The penthouse office.  It had been his father’s, but since he had always conducted business at home, the place had gone largely untouched.  It was the one space Adrien had been able to make his own. 

              He left up the existing portraits of his mother, and had framed some of Marinette’s old design sketches.  They didn’t look out of place, and he always felt like there was a piece of her in each of them.  There was a simple oak desk where his computer sat, a comfortable office chair behind it.  Two black leather arm chairs in front of it.  Outside of that, he had left the space empty.  It gave him an unobstructed view of the city that reminded him of better days. 

              He was taking in said view when he heard the elevator door open and the rhythmic clicking of Nathalie’s heels on the marble floor.

              “Morning, Nathalie.”  He greeted her without turning around.

              “Morning…….Adrien.”  She paused between the words to make sure she greeted him directly.  “Before we go over your schedule for the day, I have to ask if we are any closer to announcing your new role to the board.”

              “I told her this morning.”  Adrien answered.  He pressed his forehead to the window, his lashes lightly brushing the glass as he continued to gaze.  “But there were a few things I wanted to talk to you about before we make the final decision.”

              “Certainly, what would you like to discuss?”

              Adrien pushed off of the window pane and turned to look at her.  He used his open palm to point at a chair nearest to her.

              “Please, have a seat.”  He strode over to his desk before sitting in his own chair.  He placed his elbows on the oak surface and threaded his fingers together.  He rested his lips on his knuckles as he decided what to say.

              “We both know the board is not going to be happy if we just suddenly announce my father’s departure.  Most of the members have grandchildren older than me, and I dropped out of college to help with the company image.  If they really wanted to press, they could vote me out of the equation and appoint someone that doesn’t understand my father’s vision.  I know we are trying to improve the company image, but Agreste Designs as we know it would be completely out of my hands.”  He looked her in the eyes as he spoke.

              “We’ll get your father to speak on your behalf…” Nathalie started.  Adrien waved his hand to stop her.

              “I have another suggestion.”  He stood up and walked around to the front of the desk.  He bent down and grabbed Nathalie’s hand.  “I say we give them you.”

              “What……?”

              “We'll split the job.  You’ve already been doing most of the work anyway.  Nobody knows the business side as well as you.   You’ll get a promotion, and an assistant of your own.  The board will feel safer with you running it compared to me.”

              “Adrien, I don’t know what to say.”

              “Tell them it was Dad’s idea.”  He grinned as he let go of her hand and stood up. He began walking around in an animated manner.  “We’ll be restructuring the management, splitting the power.  I’ll still handle the PR side of things and we’ll co-council on the big company decisions.”

              He stopped and rested his elbow in one hand as he brought the other hand to his chin.

              “We’ll also need to add some more department heads.  I have been dealing with some of the most ridiculous problems when it comes to the media department lately.  I’m sure there are much better uses of our time.”

              “I’ll get on that.”  Nathalie said.  Though she was a bit shaken by all of this news, she quickly composed herself.

              “I’ll work on finding my replacement as well as my own assistant.”  She walked over to Adrien and placed a hand on his shoulder.  “Your parents would be proud.”

              Adrien smiled at her and blushed a little with embarrassment.

              “Still, we need go over your schedule for today.  Should we get started?”

              “Sure,” He smiled.  “Thanks Nathalie, what’s on the agenda?”

***

              When Marinette exited the building for the day, her feet were considerably less sore.  She descended the steps and spotted a familiar black sedan parked in the street.  Adrien was leaning against the car, his golden hair shoved into a chauffer’s cap.  He held a sign that read “Princess” is cursive script.  Marinette sped over quickly with a look of panic in her eyes. 

              “What are you doing?  Won’t someone recognized you?”  She whispered.

              “It’s why I wore the hat.”  He brought his finger up to the rim and tipped it lightly.

              She smiled, and he turned to open the car door.  She stepped into the vehicle and he stepped around to the driver’s side.  Once in the safety of the tinted windows they gave each other a quick kiss.

              “How was your day?”  He asked brightly. 

              “Oh, well I got to pick up lunches from four different places today.”  Her voice dripped with mock enthusiasm, then shifted in tone.  “I ran into Alya again.”

              “Again?”  Adrien asked.

              “I didn’t get to tell you, but I ran into her yesterday.  We talked while we were waiting in line for lunch orders.  Wasn’t as long a conversation today, but it got me thinking.”  Her voice dropped a little.  “When was the last time you spoke to Nino?”

              The question caught him off guard.  He had to think for a moment.

              “Man, it’s been almost two, almost three years.”  He kept his eyes on the road as he spoke, and his grip tightened on the wheel.  “Right around the time…..” He let the statement hang.

              “Same between Alya and me.”  Her tone echoed his own.  “Have we shut everyone out?”

              “No,” Adrien tried to comfort her. “We see your parents and people we work with a lot.”

              “But the inner circle is just us.   We’ve pushed out all of our friends, anyone that meant anything to us.  I didn’t notice it until I saw her yesterday.  She was my best friend, and now I barely know anything about her.”  She looked straight ahead as she continued.  “We’ve insulated ourselves.”

              “I don’t know what to say that won’t make it feel worse.”  Adrien admitted.

              “I do.”  Marinette said.  “It’s largely my fault.  I’ve had a lot of time waiting in lines and doing mindless filing to take a step back and get a little perspective.”

              The silence sat for a moment, then she continued.

              “I’m living in a time loop.  I find myself constantly focusing on the future, but still living in the past.  So much so, that I’m not even in the present.”

              Adrien took a moment to think, then moved one of his hands to her knee.  He rubbed his thumb in comforting circles while still watching the road ahead.

              “I remember a conversation that feels like a lifetime ago.”  He began.  “Someone told me she had missed out on being a girl.  That she wanted to walk down the street and go to the movies.”

              She smiled sadly, remembering the conversation.  She looked down at his hand and placed her own over it.

              “And it seems I’m still making excuses.”  She whispered.

              Adrien parked the car and turned to look at her. 

              “I can’t promise that we won’t draw attention, but would you like to go out to dinner with me?”  He gave her a lopsided smile.  She looked into his eyes and took in a deep breath before speaking.

              “Only if you promise not to wear the hat.”  She reached up and pulled it off of his head, only to toss it in the back seat.  She grinned at him.  “I like looking at your hair.” 

              “Princess.”  He smiled back, and leaned forward to give her a light kiss on the lips. “You’ve just made me the happiest girl in the whole world.”


	7. Puns and Pie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Adrien in such a good mood, the puns come out to play.

                Marinette went to open her door, and Adrien made a dash for his own.  He scrambled out and around the front of the vehicle to hold open her door to get out.

                “My lady should never have to open her own door.”  He grinned and held out his hand to her. 

                She smiled back and took it.  This was a huge step for them, and she was still reeling from all the emotions going through her head.  Even she wasn’t quite sure why she suddenly agreed.  Maybe it was her self-revelation of pushing people away.  Maybe she was finally letting go of the last big secret she had. 

                Whatever the reason, seeing the smile that had settled on his face told her that it was the right decision.  She wouldn’t take this away from him.  The last few years had been rough, rougher than she could even fathom.  This was the first time a smile had reached his eyes in years.  He was practically glowing.

                “So, are we going out to celebrate tonight?”  She asked him as he closed the car door.

                He stopped and seemed to consider something for a moment.  A mischievous grin crossed his face that she hadn’t seen in a lifetime.

                “Our first official date has to be purrrfect.”  He said smoothly as he bowed, took her hand, and kissed it.  “A random dinner date simply will not do.”  He looked up at her through his bangs.

                She rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, but could not keep the smile from creeping into her lips.  It was rare to hear him pun in recent times, and they were an indicator of his being in high spirits.

                “Well, then what _are_ we going to do tonight?”  She asked as they made their way into the building.   

                After passing into the entryway, Adrien snuck up behind her and scooped her into his arms.  He began to narrate his actions and intentions.

                “I’m going to carry you up these stairs and into _our_ place.  You’re going to take a nice hot bath while I make us dinner.  Then, have a lovely meal and split a bottle of wine on the roof.” 

                “Mmmhhhmmm.”  She hummed and snuggled into his hold.  “That sounds really nice.”

                Adrien did his best not to jostle her as he climbed the last flight of stairs.  When he reached the door, he had to sigh in defeat.  It was not possible to keep his grip on her and manipulate the locks at the same time.

                “Princess, I hate to put you down, but I have to get the door open.”  He gave her a sheepish look and she pouted back.

                “We could just stand here in the hallway.”  She gripped him a little tighter. “I am awfully comfortable.”

                “True.”  He said. “But then I wouldn’t get the chance to cook for you, and we both know that you get grumpy when not properly fed.”

                She frowned in consideration of his statement, gave one last heavy sigh, and adjusted herself so that he could easily place her on the floor.  Adrien reached into his pocket and grabbed the keys.  He quickly turned both locks and opened the door.  He stood aside and held out his arm.

                “After you, My Lady.”  He beamed at her, and she returned the smile as she walked past him into the tiny dwelling. 

                Marinette began kicking off her sneakers as she made her way into the bathroom.  Adrien closed the door and re-engaged the locks.  He took off his suit jacket and silk shirt and draped them over the single chair that acted as a catch-all by the door.

                Adrien made his way over to the fridge and began to pull out some vegetables, chicken breasts, and pre-made pie dough.  He set the oven to pre-heat, and began organizing the ingredients for preparation.  He pulled a cutting board and small round casserole dish out from under the sink and a chef’s knife from the only functional drawer. 

                First, he lined the casserole dish with a sheet of the dough, then trimmed the excess off carefully with the knife.  Next, he washed the vegetables, and cut them by type.  First the peas were peeled, then carrots diced, the celery chopped, followed by onions.  Each going into the casserole dish as he finished.  He mixed the vegetables together with his hands, then went about gathering the scraps and putting them into the trash can.

                He washed his hands, and picked up the package of chicken breasts and opened them over the sink.  He methodically cut them into equal sized chunks that he placed in a layer on top of the mixed vegetables.  He washed his hands again, and grabbed some of the spices that were kept on the counter.  He seasoned the meat and vegetables with salt, pepper, and garlic. 

                Stepping back over to the fridge, he opened the door and pulled out a container of chicken broth.  He opened it and poured a small amount over his filling, then closed it and returned it to the fridge. 

                Adrien took the remaining sheet of pie dough and placed it over the top of the casserole dish.  Once again, he trimmed the excess crusts, then pinched around the edges to create a seal.  He made four slits in the top of the crusts just as the oven beeped that it had reached the proper temperature.  He placed the dish into the oven, closed the door, and set the timer.

                As he went about cleaning the remainder of his mess, Adrien could hear Marinette finishing up in the bathroom.  He smiled to himself and reflected on his day.  This had definitely been one of his better ones.  Even more so when compared to the day before.

                There was a moment where he wondered what had finally allowed Marinette to suddenly be okay with going public about their relationship.  Then, he remembered that he had been not so patiently waiting on it for almost three years.  Still, he would have waited a lifetime if that’s what it took.  Whether or not the world knew, they belonged with each other.

                That was the thought in his head as Marinette stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in grey cotton pants and a white tank top.  She snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.  He stiffened at first, then relaxed into her touch.  He could feel the heat from the bath radiating from her skin.  

                “Smells good.”  She sighed into his back.

                “It’s sort of like chicken tourtiere, but less fancy.”  He answered, twisting to look down at her.

                “I wasn’t talking about the food.”  She smiled up at him.  He twisted around in her grip and bent over to kiss her.  He let his forehead rest on hers.  They stared into each other’s eyes until he laughed lightly and stood up.

                “As much as I want to stay like that forever, my back begs to differ.”  He rubbed a spot along his spine.  “I don’t bend quite as well as I used to.”

                “You say that like you’re an old man.”  Marinette smirked up at him.

                “Then, that would make you my old lady.”  He returned the smirk and tapped her lightly on the nose with the tip of his finger.

                The timer for the oven beeped, interrupting the moment.  Marinette reluctantly released him and he walked over to the oven.  Adrien grabbed the red oven mitts that hung off of the cabinet hardware, and put them on.  He opened the oven, stepped back from the initial release of heat, then reached in and grabbed the casserole dish.

                The crust was a crispy golden brown.  Adrien placed it on top of the stove to cool.  He closed the door, removed the mitts and turned off the oven.

                “I’m gonna change into something a little more comfortable.”  He said while walking towards his suitcase.  As he grabbed the pants and shirt from the previous night, Marinette stepped over and grabbed his case. 

                “While you do that, I’m going to hang these properly.”  She rolled her eyes at him.  “You know, if we’re announcing us to the world, could you care a little bit about what your clothes look like?  I don’t think my portfolio will be nearly as impressive when you’re walking around looking like failed attempt at origami.”

                He knew from her tone she was only kidding, but there was a small sting of truth to it.  He just smiled and tousled her hair affectionately as he walked past her into the bathroom.  She gave him a half-heartedly annoyed look and continued on her mission of organizing his garments.

                As Adrien exited the restroom, a small ticking sound began to fill the living space.  It picked up in speed and intensity, only to be accompanied by a flash and a rolling boom.

                “I think the weather has different dinner plans for us.”  Marinette observed as she looked up at the sky light. 

                Adrien looked a bit perturbed, but shrugged in defeat. 

                “Well, we still have food.”  He suggested.  Marinette’s eyes lit up.

                “Old cartoons on the laptop while we eat on the bed?”  She suggested and picked up the computer.

                “Works for me.”  He smiled at her and headed for the stove.  “Do we want plates or just forks as we tear into this thing?”

                “Oooh!  How about caveman style?”  She giggled as she jumped on the bed, setting up the entertainment for the evening. 

                “Ok, let’s step forward a couple of centuries and stick to the forks.”  He said.  “Don’t want to have to wash the sheets and the dishes tonight.”

                “You’re no fun.”  She stuck out her tongue, and smiled.

                Adrien stepped back into the bathroom quickly to grab a towel, then laid it out over the sheets.  He stepped back over to the stove, grabbed two forks and the casserole, and placed them gently on the towel.

                Marinette snatched up a fork and immediately dove into the dish.  She skewered a piece of chicken and some crust.  As she shoved the fork into her mouth, Adrien gave her a disapproving look.  Fork still in place, she started to give him puppy dog eyes.  He laughed and joined her on the bed.  Grabbing his own fork, he began digging in as well. 

                Marinette paused between bites to start the cartoons.  They were mostly background noise as the two spent time enjoying each other’s company, and a hot meal.  When half of the dish had been devoured, Adrien began gathering the remnants of dinner from the bed and putting things back together in the kitchen.  He seemed to be thinking very hard about something.

                “What’s on your mind?”  Marinette asked, looking up from the laptop.

                “The other night, you asked me if I missed it.”  He said wistfully.  “I think there’s more regret for not doing something.”

                “What’s that?”  She was getting concerned.  He smiled wide with a playful glint in his eyes.

                “I should have been watching these old cartoons.”  His statement caused her to throw him a questioning look.

                “Can you imagine the puns I could have made back then?”  He paused a moment.  “Ya know, I do have the money, in theory I could be a superhero again, if I really wanted to do it.”

                Adrien turned his voice deep and gravely.

                “I’m Catman.”  He stalked up to side of the bed swinging his arm around his face as if he were wearing a cape.   As he reached the edge, he flung his arms wide as if spreading the invisible cape.  “I am the ter’fur’ that _cats_ in the night.”

                Marinette began to giggle, and Adrien stood in his best magical girl pose.  Legs shoulder-width apart, fists on his hips.  He lightened his voice to a higher pitch.

                “In the name of the _mew_ n.”  He pointed at Marinette. “I shall _pun_ ish you.”

                Marinette fell over giggling.  Adrien pounced onto the bed and began to tickle her.  Causing tears to well up in her eyes.  When she started hiccupping, he withdrew.  She wiped the moisture from her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths.

                “You’re…‘hic’…….in a good…‘hic’...mood.”  She managed to choke out.

                Adrien took a moment, and smiled again.

                “I wasn’t lying earlier, you really have made me the happiest girl in the world.”  He reached over to the laptop, shut it, and moved it to the end table.  “I know you don’t need it, but I could use some beauty sleep.”

                Marinette nodded in agreement, still trying to reign in her hiccups.  Adrien went around shutting off lights and checking the locks.  When he was finished, he joined her on the bed.  They snuggled under the quilt for the night, allowing the rhythm of the rain to lull them to sleep.


	8. Alix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a simple post that read: "I forgive you."  
> In which we glimpse the world outside of Adrinette.

            Alix sat hunched over in her bed, enveloped in darkness.  This was the only way to keep the others at bay.  If she slept, they would take over her dreams, reminding her of the things she had done.  If she moved, it might trigger a memory, bringing emotions that were not her own.

            People lived on like ghosts in her head, but they were not what scared her the most.  The most terrifying being to take up residence in her mind had been her other self.  The Chronogirl from the original timeline still existed there, trapped.  While both of their Akumas had been purified, that version of herself was still angry and constantly reminding her of all the horrible things she had done. 

            It had all been very gradual.  One day, she bumped into a young woman on the street.  Alix had never met her before, but she had the image in her mind of this person screaming in terror as though it were her own reflection in an eye shield.  It had been quick, but very intense. 

            She would be having a conversation with a classmate, and would see something that was impossible for her to have been around for.  Bedtime stories with parents that weren’t her own.  The rush of seeing a girl you had a crush on as she walked in the room. 

            She also saw memories that revealed secrets.  Secrets nobody was meant to find out.  Secrets that could cost people their lives.  Secrets she would never dare to reveal.

            Eventually, the nightmares started, it was almost always images of her transformed self, chasing her down and grabbing her before it all went black.  She was always in the place of her victims.  That was when the other Alix started to show up. 

            At first, she was ignorable, but as time wore on, so did her nerves.  Her ability to function without triggering memories began to alter her mental state.  She had to withdraw from school, just shy of graduation. 

            When similar events started happening to other Akuma victims, Alix had seen a bit of hope.  Her classmate Alya had set up the LadyBlog as a sort of mental health and recovery tool.  Alix had been one of the first people to ever post.  She had hoped that there was somebody out there that could prove all of that had been real, and that these people were all okay. 

            She didn’t know if it would stop the nightmares or the memories, but thought it might help get rid of her demonic resident.  She checked that forum post multiple times a day for nearly a year.  The hope of a response eventually died along with her resolve.  Her thoughts started to turn to darker things.

            One day, she found herself starring into the mirror.  Her normally healthy tan skin was a pasty grey with green undertones.  Black circles had formed around her eyes, giving them a sunken appearance.  Her normally blue eyes were colorless and broken, hair oily from sweat, plastered flat against her skull.

            She ate very little, the wrong food could trigger a flash, causing her to grow thinner than she should have been.  She wasn’t sleeping, the nightmares made it impossible, and her waking moments were filled with taunts from her other self, berating her with her many sins.  

            She didn’t remember taking the sleeping pills.  She didn’t remember collapsing on the bathroom floor.  Of all the things that could be forgotten, why had it been the things she had done as herself?  It was called ‘accidental,’ but she wasn’t entirely sure if that was the case.

            What she did remember was waking up in the dark room.  It had been the most at peace she had felt in a while.  She reveled in the silence.  Then, someone turned on the lights.  There was a moment where everything seemed fine, followed by a rush of emotions and memories.  It caused her to scream and fight.  She had to be sedated.  The medication did nothing for the memories, but they paralyzed her body so that she couldn’t fight.

            A psychiatric nurse eventually caught on to the pattern of her “attacks” and decided to put her in a room with black out curtains.  Slowly, they took her off of the sedatives, and put her in a modified sensory deprivation mask.  They found limiting her vision to be the most effective route.  Soon, doctors found that she would go days without sleeping, just staring into the darkness.  So, they would use medication when she went too long.

            She stopped speaking.  Not that she couldn’t, there was just nothing else to say.  She would occasionally get visitors.  Mostly it was her family.  Her parents tried their best to tell her about how life was going, how one day she would be better and everything would be back to normal.  They didn’t understand.

            Her brother, Jalil, was there most regularly.  He didn’t trigger memories, since he hadn’t been around that day, and he sort of understood what she was going through, having been Pharaoh. He’d at least had the opportunity to speak to his victims. 

            He even stayed in contact with Alya, he felt he owed her something for attempting to sacrifice her to the Sun God, so he helped with the LadyBlog when he could.  He often gave her updates on events going on, and things he thought she would like to know.

            Even though she never moved or reacted to anything that he said, Jalil still visited her without fail.  She wondered if the day would ever come that he would just give up.  She already had, and didn’t understand why he was always wasting his time. 

            Today, something seemed different.  Though she couldn’t see him, she felt him enter the room more quickly.  He brought with him a strange energy, she could almost feel it run along her skin as he approached the side of the bed.  She still did not react.  Didn’t even acknowledge his presence.

            “Alix,” He sounded out of breath, as if he had rushed to get here.  “It finally happened.”

            She wasn’t sure what to what he was referring to, and didn’t care to figure it out.  He reached around her gaunt form and gave her a hug.

            “Your post, someone responded.”  He couldn’t see it under her mask, but her eyes moved in his direction.  “It was anonymous, but I’m going to work with Alya to trace the source.” 

            Her eyes unfocused again.  Anonymous, it could have been anyone just playing a joke. 

            “They didn’t give any details,” Jalil admitted as he let her go.  “It only said ‘I forgive you,’ but I’m sure we’ll found out who it is.”

            When he revealed the short message, Alix physically stiffened and sat straight up.  She turned her head in his general direction and just looked out into the darkness that was her mask.  She heard her brother gasp.

            “I need to call Alya, I promise we’ll get this figured out!”  He hugged her again and left the room just as suddenly as he entered.

            Alix was alone again.  If this wasn’t some cruel joke, there’s only one person that could even share her affliction.  Too much time had passed for it to be one of the people she had absorbed.  There was only one other person that had been in both timelines, the same way she had.

            Ladybug.

 

~*~*~*~

            Alya was awoken by the harsh buzzing of her ringtone.  She picked up the phone and glanced at the screen, noticing the 3:30 am timestamp.  Jalil’s contact information lit up below.  She took a deep breath and answered the call.

            “What’s wrong?”  She knew he would only call if it was important.  “Did the blog servers go down again?”

            “Alya, someone finally responded.”  He was speaking between heavy breaths.  “She reacted.”

            It didn’t take long to connect the dots, she sat up rigidly in the bed and through her legs over the side.  Alya was on her feet faster than she herself was realizing. 

            Running into her office she picked her glasses up off of the desk and put them on.  Once the computer was running, she opened the blog.  She entered into the Chronogirl forum.  Seeing the simple response.

            “How did I miss this?”  She hissed into the phone.  “It happened almost two days ago!”

            “You’re super busy.”  Jalil responded. “How do you think I feel?  She’s my sister, I should have been paying closer attention.”

            “When did you tell her?”  Alya began taking a look at the metadata to the post.

            “A few minutes ago, let’s just say the hospital staff isn’t too thrilled with me right now, visitor hours and all.”  His breathing was starting to even out.  “Do you think you can trace it?”

            “Already working on it.”  She switched the phone to speaker mode so she could work more diligently.    She bit her lip as screen filled with a huge wall of code.

            “Whoever posted, really doesn’t want to be found.  I wish you would have waited until I was able to vet the source.”  Pages and pages of numbers, letters, and symbols continued to generate.

            Alya rubbed the bridge of her nose, just under the frames of her glasses.

            “What can I do to help?”  Jalil’s voice came out.

            “Kubdel, you better grab me like three Cuban coffees if I’m going to work on this and make it through my shift at the station today.”  She was still watching all the information fill her screen.  “Also, grab Nino and give him a ride from his place.  I could use the extra set of eyes, and you can deal with waking him up at this ungodly hour.”

            “Got it.”  Jalil responded, and hung up.

            Alya looked at the screen again, glaring at the running characters, then glaring at the screen.

            “Who are you?”


	9. The Tortoise and the Hare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya, Nino, and Jalil begin their search for the mysterious poster.

            _Bam, bam, bam, bam._

The repeated banging yanked Nino from the grip of sleep.  He sat up slowly, and shuffled to the door, wearing only white gym socks and dark green boxers.

            “Muh.”  He grumbled when he pulled it open.

            In the doorway stood Jalil, his eyes wide, and breathing ragged.  He placed his hand on Nino’s bare shoulder.  Nino just turned his head and gave the hand a half-lidded stare.

            “Alya sent me, get your gear.”

            The words paired with the panicked look in Jalil’s eyes caused the fog to lift from Nino’s brain.  He stiffened and snapped into panic mode.  Nino ran into his office and started grabbing odds and ends to toss into his laptop bag.

            “I’m ready.”  Nino huffed as he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door.

            “Dude,” Jalil grabbed him again.  “As big a deal as this is, there’s always time for pants.”

            Nino stopped and took in his appearance.  In his rush, he forgot to put on any clothes outside of what he had answered the door in.

            “Yeah, I’ll be right back.”

******

            Alya sat starring into the computer screen, its blue glow accentuating the darkness behind her.  The code filling the monitor reflected in her glasses.  She did not react as she heard the familiar click of her door lock disengaging.  She did not even look away as the light suddenly clicked on and filled the room.

            “I know there’s a joke here, but I’m not quite sure what it is.”  Nino stepped into the room, carrying his bag.  He began setting up shop on the extra desk space next to the focused red-head. “What I don’t appreciate is having people that aren’t my girlfriend banging on my door at four in the morning.”

            “You know I wouldn’t bother you if I could have handled this myself.”  Her gaze never pulled away from the screen. 

            “I get it.” He thumbed to Jalil, coming up behind him, carrying coffee and pastries. “Still, was it really necessary to let him in on my extracurricular activities?”

            Alya rolled her eyes.

            “You aren’t fooling anyone, Nino.  No one believes that your DJ gigs are paying for that loft uptown.”

            “It’s not like I’ll tell anyone.” Jalil broke in as he placed coffees and croissants next to the other two people in the room.

            “Kubdel filled me in on things as we were headed over.”  Nino stated as he powered on his laptop.  “Do you think finding this person is going to help?”

            “Won’t know until we try.”  Alya stated.  “She’s suffered more from this than anyone I know, and if this turns out to be some kind of prank I want to make sure they never mess with anyone ever again.”

            “I hope for all of our sakes it’s not a joke. The Alya bail fund for the year has been depleted.”  Nino moved behind her and placed a hand on each shoulder as he looked at her screen. “Your garbage computer is never going to get through all of this.”

            “What makes you say that?”  She looked over at Nino incredulously. 

            “Because, I helped write it.”  He stepped back over to his computer and grabbed an extra chair.

            Alya and Jalil turned to stare at Nino as he picked up a cup of coffee and took a long sip.

            “So, this should be no problem for you, right?”  Hope filled Jalil’s eyes.

            “Not exactly.”  Nino furrowed his brow. “I only _helped_ write it.  Some big contract that I can’t discuss all of the details about.  There was a team of us.  No real contact or discussion.  Just what was necessary to do the job.  I was Tortoise, they were Hare.”

            “So, you can get in contact with this ‘Hare’ and figure it out?”  Alya was completely focused on him.

            “Easier said than done.”  Nino popped his neck.  “We don’t have any way of contacting each other, but I might be able to break it down enough that you can figure the rest out with your good old-fashioned detective skills.”

            Alya frowned and scrunched her nose.  She didn’t like being this uninformed.  She craved information and knowledge as if it were sustenance, but this barely gave her crumbs.

            “What can I do until then?” She looked Nino in the eye.

            “What can _we_ do?” corrected Jalil.

            Nino put down his cup, stood, and began shooing the two of them out of the office.

            “Go about your day.  I’ve got this handled.  I’ll keep everyone updated, but for now, there’s nothing else you can do.”  He pushed the office door shut leaving two confused people on the other side.

            “I guess I’ll head home.”  Jalil inclined his head to the door.  “Sorry for springing everything like this, I should have waited to tell her.”

            “What’s done is done.”  Alya shrugged.  “Do you think it will be ok to come by and see her after work?  I know she doesn’t usually react the best around me.”

            “It’s not just you, it’s anyone she touched in that other world.”  He seemed to think it over for a second.  “Why don’t I meet you there around six?  I can see if she’ll be okay with having you in the room, but I can’t make any promises.”

            “Sounds like a plan.”  She gave him a thumbs up that he returned. 

            “See you tonight.”  Jalil made his way out of the apartment and shut the entry door behind himself.

            Alya stood for a moment, then turned back to bang on the office door. 

            “My coffee…”  She began, but was cut off when Nino shoved a hand out holding a cup.  She took it and the hand pulled back in to shut and lock the door once more.

            “Get ready to go to the station.”  His voice drifted through the door.  “You’ve got a long day ahead. It won’t help anyone for you to spend your time worrying about what you can’t be doing.”

            “Ok.”  She relented and stepped away from the door to prep for her day.

****

            Marinette stood in the coffee line waiting to place her daily order.   This was definitely her least favorite part of the day.  Standing in line waiting to grab coffee for people that were perfectly capable of grabbing their own on the commute to work. 

She was grumbling to herself for the fourth time when she heard the entrance bell ring.  Marinette looked up from the slip of paper in her hand.  Standing in the doorway was Alya, looking a bit disheveled and worse for wear.   Marinette perked up a bit and attempted to grab her friend’s attention.

“Alya!  How are you?”

The cinnamon-locked zombie slowly swung her gaze toward the all too chipper voice.

“Marinette.”  She smiled weakly and walked over.

“I usually only see you at lunch.”  Marinette commented.

“Making a personal run, today.”  Alya stated.  “Been a long night.”

“I’m sorry.”  Marinette bit her bottom lip.  “Anything I can help with?”

“Not really.  There was a bit of a commotion on the LadyBlog.  Working on getting it handled.”  The line moved forward a bit and both women stepped forward.

“Are you sure?  I checked it out the other night, when you gave me your card.  It looked like it was helping a lot of people, and I have to admit I feel kind of like I’ve lost touch with people that I should have been staying in contact with.”  Marinette offered.

“How deep into the forums did you go?”  Alya asked.

“I tried to look at everyone from class.”  She admitted.  “You were right about almost everyone being there.”

“Did you happen to look up Alix?”  Alya took another step forward in the line.

“Yeah.” Marinette nodded. “Only one response.”

“That’s the thing.”  Alya shrugged. “That post has been there for nearly two years, and it just now gets a response.  Out of everyone I’ve come across so far, Alix has been the worst affected.  I mean, we all have some level of guilt or problems, but this really messed her up mentally and physically.  I’m supposed to go see her at the hospital tonight, but there’s no guarantee that she’ll even talk to me.”

The line pushed forward and Marinette placed her orders.  She convinced Alya to throw her own order in along with them.  As they waited, Marinette picked up their conversation.

“Do you think I could tag along?”

“I don’t really know if that would be okay.”  Alya looked a bit concerned. 

“Worst case scenario, she refuses to see you and we grab dinner?”  Marinette offered.

“I could use someone to make sure I’m properly caffeinated to get through the evening.”  The orders were put up and they each grabbed their respective coffees. “You drive a hard bargain, Marinette, but I think I’ll take you up on it.  Just remember to let Adrien know I’m picking you up and stealing you away for the night.”

“I think he’ll be okay with it.”  Marinette smiled back.  “Maybe well cross paths again at lunch?”

“Catered event at the studio today.  See you tonight.” 

 


	10. Alya's Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the girls visit the hospital, Alix makes a surprising request.

                Adrien sighed at the thought of having to cancel another evening with Marinette due to another work meeting.  Luckily, she had called to let him know that she had made plans with Alya.  It made him feel a little less guilty, but no less annoyed.  Still, he understood the responsibilities of his position and couldn’t slack in that area of his life.

            The thing that bothered him the most about days like today was that fact that there were large gaps of down time.  He had to make his day long due to how meetings and work all lined up, but if they had been back to back he could have been off doing more important things with the rest of his day.

            At the moment, he was sitting in his office with a notebook on his desk.  He held a pencil in his right hand, lightly tapping it on the desktop.  He had answered all of his work emails and was waiting for whatever meeting or crazy emergency he had to tend to.

            Adrien had the very daunting task of planning out the big date.  He’d had all sorts of grand plans over the years for when she’d finally agree. Some of which were made before he even knew her alter-ego.

            One of the grandest he had thought of had been a romantic night on the top of the Eiffel tower.  Getting a view of the city that only they could attain due to their superhero status.  There had also been the one in front of the grand window at Notre Dame.  Still, those had been the unattainable dreams of a teenage fanboy.

            He smiled to himself.  If he had known who his lady was while they had still been protecting the city, he would have been serenading her from her balcony every night.  At least, he’d liked to think so.  The thought itself sparked and idea in him and he began to furiously write down some notes.  When he had finished, he looked proudly at his plan.  He had a few calls to make, but he was sure Marinette would love it.

****

            Marinette stepped out of the building’s front doors, her shoulders physically sagged with relief.  She blew out a puff of air that traveled up the front of her face and caused her bangs to fly up. 

            She looked around for Alya and realized she wasn’t sure what she should be looking for.  As she was scanning the area, she felt a hand grab her shoulder.  Marinette whirled around in surprise to see Alya behind her, smiling and holding two helmets.

            “Are you ready?”  Alya used her head to point down the road. “I’m parked up the street.”

            Marinette took the offered helmet and followed her friend.  Parked just out of the way of traffic was a purple Vespa. Alya Jumped on first and smiled back at Marinette.

            “Jump on, and don’t forget to put on that helmet.”  She made the statement as she placed her own over her head.

            Marinette followed suit and jumped on behind Alya.  As soon as the motor started, Marinette squeaked and wrapped her arms around Alya’s waist. 

            “Adrien’s not going to get jealous, is he?”  Alya took a quick glance at Marinette before pulling into traffic.

            To say that Alya was a reckless driver would not have been wholly accurate.  Technically, she obeyed all of the rules of the road, but she moved between other vehicles so quickly that Marinette decided keeping her eyes shut was the only possible way to avoid dying of a heart attack on their way to the hospital.

            She kept her tight grip on Alya until the motor shut off, and their arrival was announced.

            “We’re here.”

            Marinette extricated herself from Alya’s waist and made a slow dismount.  She handed her helmet over and Alya placed them both into a compartment under the seat.  Marinette followed her lead through the path to Alix’s room.  Jalil was standing outside of the door waiting for them.

            Marinette had never had much contact with Jalil outside of the Pharoh incident, so she didn’t know much about his general character.  Still, his nervous pacing conveyed the deep concern he carried for his sister’s well-being. 

            Jalil jerked his head in their direction when he heard their footsteps approaching.

            “You brought someone?”  He looked Marinette up and down, then offered his hand.  “I’m sorry, while you do look familiar, I can’t quite remember your name.”

            “Marinette.”  She took his hand and shook it lightly.  “I was in the same class with Alix, you and I have met a few times, but I can understand how hard it is to keep track of names.”

            She released his hand and he smiled at her with a nod, then turned his attention to Alya. 

            “Can we talk privately for a second?”

            “Sure, Marinette, can you hang out here?”  Alya accepted Marinette’s silent nod and stepped off to the side with Jalil.

            “You forgot to mention you were bringing someone.”  He wasn’t mad, just concerned.

            “Crap.”  She punched herself in the forehead.  “I knew I forgot to do something.  I’m really sorry.  I never expected her to go in, we’ve just been out of touch for a while, and we’re just starting to reconnect.  I’ve really stepped over the line.”

            “No, it’s fine.”  He looked a little disappointed.  “I was kind of hoping you’d tell me she’s the one that wrote the post.”

            “Oh, I didn’t even think about that.”

            “It’s been a long day for all of us.”  He started to push her back toward the room.

            As they approached, they saw Marinette speaking with an older female nurse that had exited the room.

            “Oh, it looks like they’re back.”  Marinette pointed to the returning duo.

            “What’s going on?”  Jalil asked.

            “She’s steady today.  She’s actually said a few words here and there, mostly asking when you were coming back.”  The nurse responded.

            “Sorry about earlier.”  He hung his head.  “I kind of got excited.”

            “As much as it was against policy, it’s the most improvement she’s shown since coming here.”  The nurse admitted.  “So, we’ll overlook it, this time.  She’s prepped for a visit.”

            The silver haired woman walked away to leave them to themselves. 

            “I’m going to go in and see if she’s willing to talk with you, Alya.”  He turned to Marinette.  “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask that you stay out here.  She reacts really strongly to a lot of people and I don’t want to upset her.  Maybe another time?”

            “I understand.”  She nodded and sat down in a chair that lined the hallway.  He looked to Alya.

            “I can’t even guarantee she’ll talk to you, but at the very least, you could text me questions, and we might be able to make something come of this.”

            “Sounds like a plan.”  Alya nodded and waited as Jalil stepped into the room.

***

            As usual, the room was very dark.  The only light to see by came from the monitors she was hooked into.  The mask over her eyes prevented any of that from leaking into her vision.

            It broke Jalil’s heart to see his sister reduced to this.  Her level of spunky was once unrivaled.  Everything about her emitted energy.  He could never remember a time where she had stood still.  Looking at her now, having known that version of her, he felt as if he were looking at a drained battery that happened to be shaped like his sister.

Still, a big difference stood out today.  She was sitting straight up, and her attention seemed to be in his direction. This was a huge change from the slumped over unresponsiveness he had grown accustomed to her wearing. 

“Hey.”  He said cautiously.

“It’s just you?”  Her voice cracked from misuse, but the confusion was clear.

“Alya’s outside.  If you’re up for it, she wants to ask you some questions.”

“No.”  She shook her head gently.  “Not Alya.  I know her voice.  I heard someone talking to the nurse.  They sounded familiar, but didn’t cause an attack.”

“Oh.”  Jalil was surprised by this.  “Do you remember Marinette?”

Alix stiffened at the name. 

“Marinette.”  She whispered.  Her voice so low, it was almost inaudible.

***

Alya paced up and down the hallway, trying to figure out what kind of questions to ask Alix.  She had checked in at lunch with Nino, but he didn’t have anything that would actually be useful to them, yet.  She knew he would call if anything came up, still it didn’t make her any less nervous.

Marinette sat with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.  Her eyes followed Alya’s repetitive path.  She was beginning to feel like the black kit-cat clock Adrien had placed on her kitchen wall.  The only thing she needed was a tail to swing in the opposite direction from where her eyes traveled. 

The buzz of Alya’s cell interrupted the tense air of the hallway.  She reached into her pocket and pulled out the phone.  As she flicked on the screen to check the text, Marinette watched as Alya’s face shifted from one of concern to one of utter surprise. 

Alya’s eyes slowly moved from the screen to Marinette’s.

            “She wants to talk to you.”


	11. Alix Knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette speaks with Alix, and Nino has a lead on the mystery poster.

            Marinette carefully peeked around the door into the darkened hospital room.  Alix had asked to speak to her alone, a request Jalil was apprehensive to fulfill, but ultimately gave in on.  She stepped fully into the room, allowing the door to shut quietly behind her. 

            Jalil had tried to prepare her for what she was going to see, but the full realization of Alix’s condition had not hit her until it was presented in front of her eyes.  The absence of natural light in the room gave it the look of those found footage horror films.  The ethereal glow of the monitors backlit the figure sitting in the bed, creating a silhouette that made her appear as a looming shadow.   

            The closer she came to the bed; the more details Marinette could make out.  The frailness of form, the unkempt hair, the feeding tubes, and the blindfold.  All the more fitting for the horror aesthetic. 

            “It was you.”  She made the statement a fact, not a question.

            Marinette’s body gave an involuntary jerk.  It had just dawned on her how nervous she was.

            “I’m not sure what you mean.”  She took a seat in the chair closest to the bed. 

            A weak grin crept its way onto Alix’s face.  A moment of silence passed and Marinette could not tell if the young woman was thinking or listening to a voice only she could hear.

            “You don’t have to dance around things with me.”  Alix turned away and eased herself into a more comfortable position on the bed.  “I’ve known Adrien’s secret for a while now, I haven’t told anyone.  I won’t tell anyone about you either.”

            “He never knew about me in that time……”  She dropped all pretenses.

            “I’ve seen that day in my head over a hundred times from every possible angle.  You and Ivan were the only two people I didn’t touch, and I highly doubt he could be Ladybug.”

            “But I was there when Ladybug showed up.”  Marinette pointed out.

            “True,” Alix admitted “though we both know that was just the you from the other timeline. “

            “Let’s say that I am.”  Marinette offered.  “What tipped you off?”

            “In a way, it was Adrien that gave it away.  Of all the flashbacks I’m forced to live through, the feelings he has for Ladybug are by far the strongest.  They are honestly some of the few memories that give me some peace.  The last memories of everyone I touched involves them running away.  He was the only one that ran towards me.  No fear for himself, only his feelings for Ladybug.  For you.  He didn’t know who you were, but he knew how he felt.”  She stopped a moment to breathe.  Marinette could tell that this was taking a lot out of her, but was afraid to interrupt.

            “By the time the memories started coming, I had already seen the way he looked at you.”  Alix gave a light laugh.  “Everyone could see the way he looked at you.  It was around that time I started to make the connection.  There is no way he could have looked at anyone that way except for Ladybug.”

            “Was it that obvious?”  Marinette blushed at this bit of information.

            “That, and you were the only two people in our class that hadn’t been Akumatized.” Alix’s voice went softer. “Still, my biggest question for you is…. Why?”

            “Why what?”  Marinette was still trying to absorb all of this information.

            “Why take so long to answer?  Why answer at all?”  The sadness and frustration were evident in her tone, and Marinette guessed that she would see tears running down her cheek if she hadn’t been wearing the blindfold.

            “To be honest, I wasn’t even aware of the changes to the LadyBlog until this week.  I’ve recently become aware that I’ve cut myself off from a lot of people over the last few years, and I’m trying to make it right.

            “I saw your post, and I knew I was the only person that had any chance of being able to relate.  I don’t carry the same burdens, but I have to admit, I sometimes get confused over which timeline is real.”  Marinette hung her head.  “There are times I have to convince myself that Adrien is real, that he’s alive.  I get flashbacks of Chat disappearing, and it often feels like Adrien will be gone if I look away for too long.”

            “Why do I get the feeling that I’m the first person you’ve told about this?”

            “I’ve sort of talked to Adrien about it, just not in those same words.”  Marinette admitted.  “The two of us have only ever talked to each other, but there are just some experiences we never shared.”

            “Can we make a deal?”  Alix asked.

            “What do you need me to do?”

            “Come visit me.”  Alix adjusted back to a full seated position.  “My parents have no clue what I’m going through.  Jalil gets the part about being Akumatized, but he didn’t actually hurt anyone in the grand scheme of things.  I know you don’t get all of it, but maybe we could hash some things out.  The therapist that sits in here and talks at me mentioned talking it out might do me some good, but she’s never even been through anything like this.” 

            “You know, I would have agreed to that, even if you didn’t know my secret.”  Marinette answered.  “I can guarantee a once a week visit, but anything beyond that will be a little rough.  I just started my internship this week, but I can stop in anytime I have a free moment.”

            “I’m not looking for around the clock time.”  Alix’s lips quirked into a weak smile.  “Just come in when you can, the surprise of not knowing might make a difference.”  She yawned and stretched to lay back on the bed.

            Marinette sat quietly waiting for her to continue.  She strained her eyes in the low light and noticed that the girl on the bed was breathing steadily and evenly.  Being extra careful to not make any noise, she slipped back out into the hallway.

            She turned around, putting her nose to nose with Alya.

            “What did she say?”  Alya’s brows furrowed with the question.

            “Shhh.”  Marinette shushed as she pulled her nosey friend away from the door.  “She asked if I would come visit her, then fell asleep.”

            “Really?  That’s all?”  Alya tilted her head and looked skeptically over her glasses.  She backed down after a moment and sighed.  “Her meds must have kicked in.”

            “That’s funny.”  Jalil piped in as he approached the two of them.  “The nurse didn’t mention giving her any meds before we went in.  They always tell me if they’ve given her anything.”

            “Talking seemed to tire her out.”  Marinette volunteered.

            “You don’t understand.”  Jalil explained.  “She doesn’t sleep.  She hasn’t slept without medication since she’s been here.”

            “She mentioned something about me not triggering flashbacks, could that make a difference?”  Marinette bit her bottom lip in thought.

            “It could.”  Alya cradled her chin between her thumb and forefinger.  “I’ve triggered a couple of them in her myself, it’s downright terrifying.”

            “I’ll go talk to the nurse about it.”  Jalil placed a hand on Alya’s shoulder.  “Thanks for coming out.  Keep me updated, okay?”

            Alya nodded and Jalil headed towards the nurse’s station.  She turned to Marinette.

            “I don’t know about you, but I could really use something to eat.” 

            “Do you want me to make sure you’re pumped full of coffee, too?”  Marinette smiled in return.

            “You always know just what to say. There’s a café just down the street, we can walk there, then I’ll take you home.”  She grabbed Marinette’s hand and pulled her toward the exit.

            “You know, I could just take the Metro, I don’t exactly live in the city proper.”  Marinette kept pace with Alya to avoid having her arm tugged too hard.

            “It’s fine.  It’s a beautiful night, and the fresh air will do me some good.”

            The two of them strolled to the neighboring block to a cozy little place that served hot beverages and warm savory pastries.  They grabbed their meals and headed for an empty seat outside.  Initially, they simply ate their food and enjoyed each other’s company.  When they got down to drinks, Alya zeroed in on the topic at hand.

            “What did she really say in there?” She was in reporter mode. 

            “Honestly, she asked if I would come visit her.  If you think about it, her condition forced her to be isolated from all the friends she had, and it kind of prevents her from going out to make new ones.  Wouldn’t you start to feel a bit lonely?”  She took a sip of her cocoa.  “Even though I did it absent-mindedly, I’ve sort of put myself through the same thing.  I can kind of relate.  The fact that you and I have gone so long without talking should be evidence of that.”

            “You were in there for a long time, it just seems weird that’s all she would have to say.”

            “From what I understand, she doesn’t do much talking.  It was sort of forced and seemed to take a lot out of her.  It also took me a few minutes to realize she was asleep.  It’s not really easy to tell with that blindfold on.”  Marinette’s phone began to vibrate loudly in her pocket.

            “Hello, Adrien.”  Alya threw out before taking a sip of her coffee.

            “Hey, I’m still out with Alya, she says, hello.”  Marinette covered the receiver. “He says “Hi” back.” She removed her hand. “I don’t need you to come get me, Alya said she’d make sure I got home safely.”

            Alya reached across the table and snatched the phone out of Marinette’s hand.

            “Hello, Lover-boy, she’s trying to convince me to just drop her off at the nearest Metro station, but I promise to take her the whole way, safe and sound.  Or I might just steal her away forever to make up for all the time she’s spent with you.  I’m sure there’s plenty for the two of us to catch up on.”

            Marinette stared with horror creeping into her eyes, but relaxed when she heard Adrien’s laugh make its way out of the phone.

            “Don’t worry, we both have early mornings, and it’s been a long day for me.  I’m not taking her out partying or anything, yet.”  Alya took a quick breath before continuing. “Still, can I ask if you’re free tomorrow night?”

            Marinette couldn’t hear Adrien’s response.

            “Good, then you and Nino are spending the evening together.”  Alya responded matter-of-factly.  “You made me a promise a few years back, and have yet to deliver.  He doesn’t make a big deal about it, but he misses you.  He just needs to know you’re doing ok.  I’ll have him send you details tomorrow, bye.”  She hung up the phone and handed it to Marinette.  “They’ll have a guy’s night, and we’ll have a girl’s night.”

            Marinette just stared blankly at her friend.

            “Let’s finish these drinks and get you home to Prince Charming.”

            They polished off their beverages and made their way back to the Vespa.  Alya grabbed the helmets out of the compartment.  They put them on and loaded themselves onto the vehicle.  Marinette assumed the position, and wrapped her arms around Alya’s waist. 

            “Hold on tight.”  Alya seamlessly entered traffic and began her carful dance of weaving between the other drivers out on the road.  Five minutes into the trip, they were forced to stop at an intersection.

            “It just occurred to me that I don’t know where you live.”  Alya admitted.

            Marinette opened her eyes and took a quick look around.

            “Actually, you should have turned left three blocks ago.”  She answered. 

            “Hold onto thy butts….”  Alya revved the engine on her little scooter, and made a very wide and very fast U-turn.  “You’re going to have to keep your eyes open if you plan of directing me the rest of the way there.”

            Marinette nodded in understanding.  She had literally free fallen off of numerous buildings and structures around Paris, why would something like this terrify her so much.  As they continued on, she realized it was more about control.  She could control a fall; worst case scenario the ground would stop her.  With Alya in control, you never knew what to expect.  

            As the streets became less familiar and the traffic died off, Alya reduced her speed.  She began to notice an unnerving trend in the neighborhoods they were driving through.  The street lights were fewer in number, until the few that were present were barely working at all.

            “How does Adrien let you live out here?”  Alya glanced momentarily at her passenger.

            “He doesn’t dictate every aspect of my life.”  Marinette answered.

            “Your parents, then.  Your family isn’t hurting for money.”

            “They weren’t on board at first, but I can be pretty convincing.  Besides, I’m able to pull it off all by myself, and that’s the important part.”  The pride almost radiated from her skin.  “Here it is.” 

            “I’m guessing the expensive piece of machinery out front belongs to Adrien.”  Alya pulled up next to curb.  “How has it not been broken into?”

            “Bulletproof glass.”  There was no humor in Marinette’s voice.  Just a statement of fact.  “Would you like to come up?”

            “I love you.”  Alya patted her scooter.  “But there’s no way in Hell I’m leaving my baby unattended out here.”

            “Come on, it’s not that bad.”  Marinette removed her helmet and handed it back over.

            “It really is.”  Alya dismounted to stash the helmet in the compartment. Then, she gave Marinette a hug.  “Go on up.  I can’t leave until you are safe and sound.  I made a promise.”

            “See you tomorrow?” 

            “Yeah, come by the station after you get off.  I’ll give you a tour, and we can have some girl time.”  Alya hopped back on her scooter.

            “Deal.”  Marinette smiled and ran into her building.

            As soon as the door clicked back into place, Alya’s phone went off.  She saw Nino’s info on the screen.

            “What do you have?”

            “Nothing on a who, but I do have a where.  It’s not perfect, but I do have a general neighborhood.  I’ve sent it to your e-mail.” 

            Alya switched to speaker phone and opened her email.

            “I’m taking a look at it, now.”  She told him. 

            “It’s pretty far out from the city.”  Nino spoke as she was taking in the information.  “I can go check it out tomorrow if you want.  It’s really too late to do anything about tonight.”

            Alya’s eyes grew wide as realization dawned on her.

            “I’m already here.”  She spoke flatly.

            “What?”  Nino’s tone turned harsh.  “Why on Earth are you all the way out there?  At this time of night?”

            Alya looked up at the window on the top floor.  A small silhouette leaned out and waved to her, indicating a safe arrival.

            “I just dropped off Marinette.”


	12. Sorting it Out

                Adrien wrapped his arms around Marinette’s waist and pulled her away from the window.  He drew her back against his chest and buried his nose in her hair.  She reached up and rubbed the side of his neck in slow affectionate strokes.

            “We might have a bit of a non-problem.”  Adrien relaxed his hold at her statement.  She turned in his arms and brought her hands up to cradle his face.  Their eyes locked.  “Alix knows our secret.”

            His arms fell away and skin paled as shock settled in.  His lips opened and shut like a fish out of water.

            “How….” The words caught in his throat.

            “It’s kind of complicated.”  She placed an arm in the small of his back to support his short shaky steps and guide him to a seat on the bed. She eased down next to him as he processed the information. 

            “You know how I sometimes talk about the ‘other’ time?”  He answered with a silent nod.

            “It’s a lot worse for her.  To go back in time, she had to absorb life energy.  Essentially, she absorbed everything about the people she took in. One of the people, was the you from that time.”  She began rubbing small circles on his back.  “The way you get nightmares, she gets flashbacks.  Only it’s all the time, and it’s the memories of the people she’s absorbed.”

            She continued to rub his back as he stared out into nothing, the revelation sitting in the air.  He sucked air in through his nose and blew it forcefully from his mouth.  The action was repeated several times before he dared to turn his gaze to her.

            “She absorbed the other me, so she knows about me, about Plagg.”  His voice was low and haunted.  His brows furrowed and he shook his head.  “But he…. I…we?  Whoever, didn’t know about you.”

            “When the memories started coming back to her, it didn’t take much to put it together.  You and I were the only two that hadn’t been Akumatized, and she knew you were Chat.  Wouldn’t take much to go down the path of me being Ladybug.”  No need to worry him with the other details.   Adrien would only blame himself, and that was the last thing she wanted him to do.

            “Like I said, a _non-_ problem.  She’s known for a while, but hasn’t told anyone.  At the same time, I don’t think anyone would even believe her.  Her mental state is pretty fragile.  I’m sure it’s only her general strength of spirit that has kept her from breaking down entirely.”

            “How are we going to handle this?”  The look on his face reminded her of a lost kitten.

            “I’m going to visit her whenever I can.  Just sit and talk.  It’s not far from your office.  If you have to work late, I can go wait for you there.”  She bit her bottom lip in thought. “If it were a little closer to where I’m at, I’d go have lunch with her, but it’s too far to make it there and back in time.”

            “Is there anything _I_ can do?”  The underlying message being ‘ _How do I fix this?’_

            Marinette wrapped her arms around Adrien’s torso and pulled him as close to her chest as she could manage.

            “ _You_ do plenty.  Let me deal with this.”  She tilted her head to the left. As their eyes met, a crooked smile worked its way to the corner of his mouth.  He leaned forward and placed his lips on her forehead.

            “Ok,” he whispered, “I’ll follow your lead.”

***

            Jalil sat next to his sister’s bed, watching her fitful sleep.  She had been calm for a few minutes after Marinette left, but as the time her body began to tense and eventually shake.  These fits were the reason she had stopped sleeping in the first place.  Which ultimately led to her being hospitalized.

            Her doctors had decided to let her ride this one out.  She so rarely had a natural sleep that they chose to just monitor her vitals and allow her to wake on her own.  Sweat coated her waxy skin, giving it a sickly sheen. 

            Pain welled up in his chest, he had given into her odd request.  He had changed up her routine.  He had been the one to blow this whole situation up without having the post investigated.  He wanted to stop the pain that caused her to whimper, her muscles to twitch, and her hands to stay clenched in perpetual fists.

            Suddenly, the beeping of the heart monitor took on a rapid pattern, she screamed, then shot straight up.  Her breath came out in an irregular pant.  Rigidity set into every limb.  The nurse rushed through the door.  Jalil moved away from the side of the bed to give her room to work. 

            Her heart-rate was beginning to normalize, but still too erratic for the nurse to walk away.

            “It’s okay, you were dreaming.”  The nurse whispered and made soothing noises in Alix’s direction.  Careful not to actually make physical contact.  “Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth.”

            While still heavy, her breathing took on an even pattern.  Small tremors still worked their way from her shoulders down to the tips of her fingers.  The monitors began to display expected vital signs and Alix moved her head around as if she were trying to look for someone.

            “Where’s Marinette?”  Her statement felt like a punch to Jalil’s gut.  He had been by his sister’s side for years, yet the person she was looking for had only been there a handful of minutes.

            “She left a couple of hours ago.”  He answered.  The nurse was checking vitals as they spoke.  “You fell asleep, so she and Alya went home.”

            “I did?”  The confusion was thick in her voice.  “The last thing I remember was talking to Marinette and feeling really comfortable.  Then………”

            “Another flashback.”  He finished for her.

            “Yeah.”  She hung her head and took a few more steadying breaths.

            “When was the last time you just fell asleep like that?”  He grabbed a washcloth and wet it in the sink.

            “I can’t even remember.”  The nurse wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Alix’s arm.  Jalil approached with the wet cloth and began dabbing the sweat from his sister’s forehead.

            “If it’s any help, Alya is going to keep looking for the poster.”  Her shoulders tensed at his statement.

            “Don’t.”

            “What?”  He pulled the cloth away from her head and looked at her.

            “Don’t look anymore.”  She stated.  “I don’t want to find out that it was all some cruel joke.  I’ve already found someone to talk with that doesn’t remind me of all the horrible things I’ve done.  Isn’t that enough?”

            Jalil gave her a stern look.  While she couldn’t see it, she felt the weight of his gaze.

            “I’ve been through a lot; you know that better than anyone.  I just don’t want to go through another cycle of hope and disappointment.”  She reached out, searching for his hand.  He placed his into her outstretched palm. 

            The nurse removed the cuff.  She walked over and placed a hand on Jalil’s shoulder. 

            “Visiting hours are over, sweetie.”  She gave him a sad look.  “I’ll give you a few minutes to say good night, but it’s time to head out.”

            “Thanks.”  He stepped away from the nurse as she made her exit.  Still holding onto his sister’s hand he pulled her into a tight hug.  Her delicate form caused the pain to return to his chest.  He would have given anything to have kept her from this fate.

            “I’ll be back soon.”  He pulled away from her.  Alix turned her face in the direction of his voice.

            “Go, spend some time with Kevin.  I’m sure he misses you.”  A tired grin appeared on her face.

            Jalil stood silently for a moment, then allowed himself to return the expression.

            “Maybe you could meet him someday soon.” 

            “I’d like that.”

***

            “Are you sure it came from Marinette’s place?”  Nino was pacing in front of Alya’s couch, waving his arms as he spoke.  “I could only narrow down the general neighborhood.  That consists of several blocks.”

            She was stretched out on the floral print cushions, head propped up on the rest, hair cascading down the side.  Her eyes closed and brows creased as she massaged the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.  The action pushed the bottom of her glasses into the side of her hand. 

            “I saw the area.”  She gave an exasperated sigh.  “No way in hell anyone there has the funds to hire you, much less a whole team.  Unless there’s some sort of hidden international crime syndicate headquartered there, Adrien is the only one in the area with access to that kind of tech and funding.”

            “So, either Adrien or Marinette is our mystery poster.”  Nino paused and closed his eyes in concentration.  “What reason would either of them have for doing it?”

            “I’m too tired to worry about it tonight.”  A puff of air escaped her exhausted lips.  “I’ll see what I can get out of her when I see her again tomorrow.  Which reminds me, you have a man-date with Adrien tomorrow.  You can talk to him then.”

            “What?  I haven’t spoken to him in forever!”  He began pacing again.  “And why are you suddenly so hung up on spending time with Marinette again?  I thought she stopped talking to you, suddenly it’s like the last couple of years never happened?”

            “You know they say about best friends.”  She sat up and rested her arms on her thighs.  “Whenever I meet up with her, I feel like we can just pick up where we left off.”

            Alya’s phone began to buzz, pausing their conversation. 

            “What’s up Kubdel?”  A strange look crossed her face as she listened to what Jalil had to say.  Nino quirked his brow at her.  Confused by her reactions.

            “Are you sure?”  She nodded, even though it couldn’t be seen through the phone.  “I understand.  I’ll let it go.  Just know, we’ll be here for you if you need it.  Good night.”

            “What was that about?”  Nino sat next to her on the couch.  She stared at her phone until the screen went dark from inactivity.

            “He asked us to stop looking.”  She whispered.

            “What?”  Disbelief colored his tone.  “After all that, he’s giving up?”

            “It was Alix’s request.  Apparently, she’s had a recent turn for the better and he doesn’t want to ruin it by finding out this was some sort of cruel prank.”

            “What exactly went down today?” His tone switched from annoyance to concern.  “I know the kind of shape she’s in.  You don’t just suddenly bounce back from that.”

            “For one, she’s actually speaking.”  Alya placed the phone back in her pocket.  “Beyond that, I can’t tell you.  Not because I don’t want to, but because I don’t know.  Marinette goes in, when she comes out all I get is “ _she wants me to visit”_ and then she fell asleep _._ ”  Her voice went a bit squeaky when quoting Marinette.  “Then I get you telling me that the post came from her P.O.S.  neighborhood.”

            “It can’t be that bad.”  Nino chuckled nervously.

            “Yeah it can.  I was kind of scared coming home through there.”  She stood up.  “Honestly, though my brain is too fried to think about anything else.  You staying here tonight, or do you need a ride home?”

            “Like I’d let you drive me anywhere.”  Nino pushed himself up from the sofa.  “I ran back and got my van while you were out today.  It’s parked around the corner.”

            “Hmm.”  Alya made a non-committal noise.  “Around the corner is awfully far, and we’ve had such a long day.” 

            She reached out for his wrist and began to drag him toward her bedroom. 

            “Guess I’ll just have to stay here.” He gave her no resistance.

            “Too bad there’s only one bed.”  She smiled and pulled him through the door.

 


	13. Alouette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite being told to leave things alone, Nino decides to investigate Marinette.

                A light touch to Nino’s fingertips caused him to stir.  He blinked slowly and rolled onto his side.  To his left, the mattress flexed with an obvious shift in weight.  A soft click triggered dim light to flood his blurry vision.  Reaching towards the end table, he blindly fumbled for his glasses. Grabbing the smooth plastic of the frames and placing them on his face.  Happily, Alya filled his view instead of the dark shadowy figure that had had been standing in her place a moment ago.

                “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”  She purred and strolled around the bed.  Dragging her finger along the sheet that encased the lower half of his body, she paused and flicked the edge of it before continuing on.  When she reached his bare chest she applied enough pressure with that single digit to pin him in his current spot.  Taking advantage of the prone position, she pressed her lips to his forehead.  Alya quirked her lips in a sad smile as she stood up. 

                “As much as I like to finish what I start; I have to get down to the station.”  Despite her words, she stayed in place, staring into his eyes. 

                “Seeing you in nothing but my shirt makes me want to argue with you, but it also means that you have to get dressed so I can have it back.”  He sat up just enough to place a quick kiss on her lips. 

                Alya giggled and stepped away from the bed.  Nino took the opportunity to untangle himself from the sheets.  She flung her hair back dramatically and strode out of the bedroom.

                “Can you start the coffee maker?  I don’t think there’s going to be time to stop for any today.”  She called from down the hall.

                “I could always get it for you and bring it down to the station.”  He offered.

                “Just make the coffee.”  She said flatly, then closed the bathroom door.

Nino readied himself as much as he could without his shirt.  Stepping into the kitchen, he went for the cabinet above the coffee maker, pulling out a filter and the bag of grounds.  After setting up the basket, he poured in grounds until he felt there was enough.  Grabbing a few bottles of water from the fridge, he poured them into the well.  Alya would pour the finished product over his head if he used tap water, then complain about how the minerals from it would build up and ruin the maker.

                By the time her shower was finished, the smell of coffee was wafting throughout the whole apartment.  She wrapped herself in a terrycloth bathrobe and stepped out of the steamy bathroom, Nino’s shirt cradled in her right arm.  Stalking slowly down the hallway she approached the kitchen. His back was to her.  Perfect.  Silently, she balled up his shirt and took aim.  

                He never saw it coming.  Mostly because his focus was on his phone, checking his email for gigs of various kinds.  He was startled by the something soft coming in contact with the back of his head.  When he looked down he saw his shirt on the floor.  Turning toward the bedroom, he witnessed the door slamming shut.  The soft ‘tick’ told him she had locked the door. 

                Nino rolled his eyes and bent over to pick up and shake out the large black tee.  It was slightly damp from being in the steamy bathroom, but he shrugged it on anyway.  He had no clients to meet with today.  His phone buzzed on the counter.  It was a text from Alya, reminding him he had to set up a time with Adrien, followed by a phone number.  He assumed it was Adrien’s. 

                Adrien had been his friend, hell, his _best_ friend for a very long time.  He knew the poor guy had been through something pretty unsettling.  More so than his usual family issues.   Instead of pressing him about it, he simply sat back and gave him some space.  In the end, it was Marinette that had brought Adrien out of that funk.  Something had changed about the way they interacted with each other. 

There had been a few group outings.  He, Alya, Adrien, and Marinette had always been places together, but there was a change to the group dynamic as a whole.  Many times it was as if he and Alya didn’t even exist, but at least they were all hanging out.  Then, the world broke.

It didn’t hit everyone at once.  Some people had subtle things:  weird dreams, subtle senses of Déjà vu, or feelings of unexplained guilt.  Others had straight up nightmares and flashbacks.  Everyone coped differently.  Drugs and alcohol were a popular solution for some.  Therapy was enough for others.

                At the time, he had gone through his own thing.  The memories of being The Bubbler weren’t the worst anyone should have to deal with.  Overall, his emotions weren’t driven by selfishness, but out-right care for his best friend.  The very friend he could no longer be close to.  Honestly, if it would have been possible to be re-akumatized, it would have happened at that moment in his life.  In a weird and twisted way, his guilt over being a villain would make him feel guilty for not getting past it and trying to reconnect with Adrien.  It felt like being caught in a loop of guilt that eventually led to severe depression.

                He was lucky enough to have Alya.  She’d been by his side through the whole thing.  It was her dedication to the LadyBlog that inspired him to get better with computers.  Seeing her struggle to balance so much made him want to help as much as he could.  By the time he started to get a grip on his life, he’d lost all contact with Adrien.  He didn’t know how he would even go about getting in contact with him again without seeming like some kind of stalker.  He did promise himself that he wasn’t going to distance himself from anyone again, if he could avoid it. 

                The phone buzzed in his hand again.  Alya was threatening to set up the meeting for them if she hadn’t heard a confirmation from both him and Marinette by noon.  He sighed.  There was no way out of this.  He smiled and sent her a text back, promising to follow through at a decent hour.  When she responded, he had to laugh.

                “If you aren’t going to cook me breakfast, get out.”

                His lips settled into a grin. 

                “Love you too!”  He shouted loud enough for her to hear through the door.  After conducting the standard self-check for keys, wallet, phone, and laptop case, he took his leave of Alya’s space. 

                Outside, the sky was that special shade of navy-purple that only appears just before sunrise.   Yellow light from streetlamps stood out in contrast on the sidewalks below.  This time of day always felt fake to Nino, it reminded him of the simulated night skies he’d seen on theme park rides.  It felt entirely too close, but still appeared endless.  He chuckled at the thought.  This sky was obviously real, maybe the theme parks knew exactly what they were doing after all.

                On the walk to the van, Nino’s stomach groaned.  The pang of hunger reminded him he had also left without getting any coffee for himself.  Despite her pleas of not having time, he was fairly positive that she would still stop in at the café by the station for breakfast. 

                He hopped into the driver’s seat of the black panel van he used to haul his DJ equipment.  It also assisted him in some of the more remote gigs for his other line of work.  He purposefully kept it non-descript, if even a little dirty.  Nothing sticks out on the street like a well-kept vehicle.  Even if it were noticeable, washing it was easier and less traceable than getting a new paint job. 

                He shut the door and cemented his plans.  Heading for the café he knew she frequented, Nino was going to surprise Alya by treating her to breakfast.  It wasn’t a long drive, but parking a large vehicle was not always the easiest thing to do in the city.  It was still early enough that he found something within a block of his destination.  Once the office workers started pouring in, he would be in prime real-estate.

***

                Adrien parked at the curb in front of Lyon Creations.   A large black van was in the spot he usually used to drop her off, but neither of them paid much notice. 

                “Nino is supposed to call you about where you’re going tonight, right?”  Marinette confirmed.

                “Yes.”  He answered for the fourth time.  “Alya hasn’t stopped texting me about it since you gave her my number this morning.  I’m surprised she hasn’t already set a place and time for us.”

                “She can be a little……. enthusiastic.”  Marinette mentally searched for the least offensive word to use.  “Would you expect anything less from her?”

                “No.”  He chuckled.  “I think I’d be more worried if she wasn’t pushing for this.”

                Adrien’s phone buzzed from its spot in the cup holder. His face lit up a little when he took a look at the screen.

                “Who is it?” She asked as he picked the phone up.

                “It’s Nino.  Looks like Alya’s been hard at work on both ends.”  He started typing a reply.

                “I’ll leave you to it.”  She leaned over the center console and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.  “Just remember, you’re picking me up from Alya’s place when you get done.  We both have a long day tomorrow, so don’t be out too late.”

                “I don’t consider dinner with your family a long day.”  He smiled and returned the chaste kiss.

                “True, but it’s been a really long week already.”  Her eyes were tired despite her polished appearance.  She took in a deep breath and let it out as a sigh.  “Not even counting this place.”

                “Wait right here.”  Adrien unbuckled his seatbelt before getting out of the car.  She watched in confusion as he ran around the vehicle and came to her door.  He reached for the handle and pulled it open.  He bowed with a bit of flourish and held his hand out to her.  She took it and he pulled her close. 

                “Remember, no matter how they treat you in there, you are my lady.”  He placed a light kiss on her lips.  “You say the word, and I’ll make sure everyone in there knows it too.”

                She smiled up at him, tears of happiness forming in the corners of her eyes.  She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace and he returned the action.  She loosened her grip first.

                “I don’t think it will come to that, but hearing you say it definitely helps.”  She gave his bicep a light rub before he released his grip on her.  “See you tonight.  Have fun with Nino.” 

                Adrien watched as she ran up the steps and into the building’s front entrance.  After closing the car door, he made his way back to the driver’s seat.  Nino had sent him a time and an address.  The response he sent confirmed that he would be there.  Checking the traffic, Adrien pulled out onto the street and headed for work. 

***

                Marinette stepped out of the elevator.  She had already grown accustomed to the dread that hit her as she neared the end of the hallway, but put on her happiest smile before reaching the desk.  Nichole was already at her computer typing away.

                “Good mor…..”  The usual paper was shoved into her face.  Nichole never even looked in her direction.

                “Hurry little bird. There’s an early design meeting this morning.  At this point, you’re already late.” 

                “But I… no one told….”  Marinette began to protest, but took a deep breath and steadied herself.  “I’ll be right back.” 

                 She snatched the paper and turned tail.

***

                Nino sighed as he checked the clock on his phone.  He had been wrong.  Alya really wasn’t stopping through today.  He had set up a time and place with Adrien, then forwarded the info to Alya.  He was getting ready to leave the café when the entry bell rang.  Fairly hidden in his spot at the back, he could clearly see the woman coming in through the door.  Her hair was different, but her build and facial structure were unmistakable.  It was Marinette, obviously out of breath, most likely from running.  She didn’t speak, just handed the paper to the barista and tried to steady herself. 

                Nino stayed in his secluded spot.  Seeing her for the first-time in years, even he felt the need to walk up to her and pick up as if they had spoken yesterday.  That feeling scared the hell out of him.  Taking into account the conversation he and Alya had yesterday, he should just leave and pretend he never saw her, but there was something nagging him in the back of his mind.  Too much had gone down too quickly yesterday.  Then, they were supposed to just pretend it never happened? 

                There were a few things that he and Alya had rubbed off onto one another.  She picked up on some of his computer skills.  He picked up on her investigative spirit.  They both used them in different ways, but the combination had definitely been more beneficial to his more secretive line of work.  

                He watched as she finished paying and collected her order.  Waiting about thirty seconds after she left, Nino made his own way out the door.  The pace he kept was casual, but his focus was on Marinette.  She was doing her absolute best to bob and weave through the crowd, eventually making her way into Lyon Creations.  Nino chuckled to himself, turning to see his own van, already parked in front of the building. 

***

                Marinette steadied the stack of coffees and trays in her grip.  The empty elevator allowed her access to the wall and railing for support.  When her floor approached, she readied herself for the small jerk that always came before the doors opened.

                In the last three days, Marinette had worked out the coffee delivery into an art.  She could glide past the desk, leaving Nichole and Mme. Lyon’s drinks.  She would be able to quickly drop off the rest as she passed their work stations. 

                “This is for you and Madame……”  A hand on her wrist cut off the statement.

                “Leave the coffees here.  Everyone can grab them on their way in today.  You have other stuff to do.”  Nichole made no effort to help her place the coffees, but continued to speak.  “There was a special rush fabric order placed to this shop.  We need it back here ASAP.”

                Marinette took the paper after setting down the beverages.  She looked at the address and her eyes grew wide. 

                “This is on the other side of the city.”  She shook her head slightly.  “I’ll be lucky to make it back before noon.”

                “Then you should take this too.” Nichole tossed another piece of paper in her direction.  Marinette read it over.

                “Lunch orders?”  Confusion hung in the air.

                “You said it would take until noon.  Just grab them on your way back in.”  Nichole said it like she was doing her a favor.

                “I don’t have a car.”

                “Not my problem.”  Nichole flicked her wrist.  “Shoo little bird.”

                Marinette stood speechless for a moment.  Nichole continued to type on her computer.  After a few tense moments, she began to hum the first few bars of “Alouette.”   Marinette regained her composure and put on her biggest smile.

                “I’ll be back.”  She saluted and took a quick pace toward the elevator. 

                Once Marinette was out of earshot, Nichole ceased her humming and whispered under her breath.

                “I _will_ break your spirit, little bird.”

***

                Nino didn’t have to wait very long for Marinette to emerge from the front of the building.  Somehow, she looked even more flustered than before.  She stepped in front of his van and waved down a taxi, never even looking his way.  When she jumped into the backseat, he turned the vans ignition. The taxi pulled away and Nino waited for a few cars to pass before heading into traffic to follow.

                A good distance was kept between himself and his target.  He’d worked plenty of jobs that required him to tail a person or two.  Being mobile also made you harder to find.  He even made sure to drive past them when the taxi parked and Marinette stepped out.  Nino drove slowly enough to see her enter the fabric store, but not so much that it drew attention.  After parking around the corner, he took up residence at a nearby bus stop to wait.

***

                Marinette entered the store and looked around.  She’d never been to this particular establishment.  There were large racks reaching from floor to ceiling that held multiple bolts of fabric.  They reminded her of giant colorful toilet paper rolls.

                “May I help you?”  A woman with bright red hair smiled from behind the counter.  It took up the limited floor space in the middle of the store.  Her name tag read “Maude.” 

                “Yes.”  Marinette was relieved to see a friendly face.  “I’m here to pick up a special order.”

                She handed over the paper Nichole had given her.  The smile on Maude’s face faded as she looked from the order to Marinette. 

                “Don’t tell me it’s not ready.”  Marinette pleaded.  This would be the perfect way for her day to go.

                “It’s ready.”  Maude stated.  “Are you sure you can take it?  It might be a bit hard getting it out of the store alone.”

                “I’m stronger than I look.”  Marinette smiled proudly and flexed her bicep.   

                Maude didn’t seem convinced.

                “Ok, we have to walk around to the loading dock in the back.”  She grabbed a set of keys and motioned for Marinette to follow.

                “Loading dock?”  Marinette whispered, just out of ear shot.

***

                Nino spotted Marinette trailing a tall woman with bright red hair that stopped to lock the front of the store.  He stood up to follow them around the row of buildings to the alley that ran along the back.  Not far from where he had parked.  The weird feeling tickled his brain again.  He needed to start parking further away, twice was just too much of a coincidence for his taste. 

                He crossed the street so he could watch the alley without being spotted.  He pretended to stop and check his phone, but all of his attention was on the strange interaction going on in the alley. 

                When the red-haired woman disappeared into the opening of the loading dock, two large men came out carrying a nine-foot tube wrapped in plastic.  They placed it on the ground, went back inside and brought out another.  When they went in again, the rolling bay door closed behind them.

                At that moment, Nino saw something break in Marinette.  She stopped in the middle of the stairs leading up to the loading platform and sat down.  He could see the gears turning in her head.  He’d been following her all morning, if this is what she was here to pick up, there was no way she was getting it back to the office.  The sheer size made it impossible for her to fit them into a cab. She needed a truck……….  or maybe a van.

                “Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!” Marinette finally screamed into the sky.  There was no way this was a mistake.  She could take the cold shoulders as she delivered coffee and meals.  She could take the nit-picky orders and ridiculous filing.  All of that still put her in the presence of real industry professionals, and she could glean bits and pieces from that.  There was no making a mistake on an order like this.    “This is just a wild goose chase!!!!!” 

                “Marinette?”  She looked in the direction of the voice.  He was a little taller than she remembered, but it was most definitely Nino.

                “Nino?”  She wanted to make sure, her luck had not been the best this week.  He nodded in response.  “What are you doing around here?”

                “I was in the area.”  He kept the answer general as he approached.  “Everything okay?  You seem frustrated.”

                “That’s an understatement.”  She said flatly.  “Not having the best day so far.”

                “Anything I can do?”  At this point he wasn’t sure if he was genuinely asking or being compelled.  He was fighting internally with the urge to help her and not simultaneously blowing his cover. 

                “Not unless you know someone that can help me transport two industrial sized bolts of fabric.”  She was still seated on the steps.  The fact she hadn’t even offered a proper greeting gave him some insight to how badly this was effected by the incident.

                “I do, actually.”  He pointed to a black van parked just outside the alley.  “That’s mine over there.”

                Marinette blinked her eyes in disbelief.  She looked from the van to Nino and back again.

                “I couldn’t ask you, I need to get these across town _and_ pick up lunch orders.  I don’t want to put you off your schedule like that.”

                “Nonsense.  How could I spend time with Adrien tonight, knowing I left you out here in alone in an alley?”  He pointed to the cargo sitting on the dock.  “How heavy are they?”

                “I could drag one by myself, so the two of us could carry them pretty easily.  Honestly, they’re just super awkward to hold.”  She stood and brushed off her bottom.

                “I’ll get the van in closer.”  Nino smiled.  “Just give me a sec.”

***

                Nichole looked at the clock on her desktop.  It was nearly eleven-thirty, she had long expected a call from Marinette about the obscene size of the fabric bolts.  Sure, she could have scheduled a delivery, but what would be the fun in that?

                Every year, she had the distinct honor of breaking in the intern.  The fashion industry was tough, working for Lyon Creations was even tougher.  There was no room for the weak.  Marinette was the seventh intern she’d dealt with, and something about the girl bothered her to no end.

                Not a single intern had made it past two-weeks with her.  Only two had ever made it beyond the first.  To work here, they needed drive and a touch of darkness.  Marinette was too sparkly.  Her smile, her general effervescence, and her absolute dumb luck were verifiably supernatural.

                Since no interns ever stuck around, the design team never even took the time to learn their names.  Over time, that automatic coldness had worked to her advantage.  Still, this girl came in every morning and greeted everyone by name as she handed out drinks or lunch orders.  She was something beautiful that needed to be destroyed.

                One day, Nichole had tried tripping the unsuspecting girl while she carried a stack of drinks.  Marinette had stumbled, but managed to all but one coffee from falling.  That coffee had fallen directly into a trashcan without spilling a drop anywhere outside of it.  The drink had been Nichole’s.

                The fabric errand had been a stroke of genius.  She would have to treat herself after this one.  Now, it was just a waiting game.  Would the little bird come back defeated?  Would she even return at all?  If she hadn’t heard anything by the end of the day, Nichole would take that as a resignation.

                She began to lightly sing her favorite tune again. 

                “ _Je te plumerai les yeux……”_

                   “I’m back!”  Marinette’s bright chirp echoed from the elevator.

                The sound of her voice sent a chill down Nichole’s spine.  There’s no way she could have pulled this off.  How could she sound so happy?

                The first thing to emerge from the hallway were the ends of the fabric bolts.  Bags containing food had their handles looped around them.  Not only had she managed to pick up the fabric, she had picked up the lunch orders. 

                Marinette’s small frame appeared next.  Carrying one end of a bolt on each of her shoulders, simultaneously blocking her peripheral vision and head from view.  Holding the other ends of the bolts was a tall man with striking golden eyes.  His caramel colored arms were wrapped around the bolts so that he was carrying them on level with Marinette.  He spotted Nichole and gave a friendly smile. 

                “Where to?”  He asked.

                “Fabric storage.”  She managed to reply.

                “Hold on, Nino.”  Marinette kept the bolts balanced as she shimmied down the length of them to the bags of food.  She carefully removed them and placed them on Nichole’s desk.  “I’ll be back for those.”  She smiled and led Nino to their drop-off point.

                Nichole seethed in her spot. 

                “Little bird, I will pluck out every last one of your feathers.”


	14. Reconnecting

                                Adrien felt an odd sense of dread.  It started just after he dropped off Marinette.  An odd itch under the surface of his skin.  Initially, he brushed it off as excitement.  By lunchtime it had grown into general unease.  Resulting in him being little more than physically present in the afternoon meeting.  At the moment, he stood in his office, arms crossed over his chest, hands rubbing up and down his biceps.

            “If you are feeling chilled, might I suggest adjusting the thermostat?”

            The fact he hadn’t heard Nathalie approach put him more on edge.  He shook his head as he turned to acknowledge her.

            “Not cold, just thinking.”  His voice was low and carried a great weight.

            Nathalie stepped closer and held out a folder.

            “I noticed you doing a lot of thinking during the meeting and took the liberty of making this for you.  It’s the minutes, plus the more relevant information that was presented.”  She pushed the file closer, indicating he should take it.

            “Thanks.”  He relaxed his stance and dropped his arms as he accepted the folder.  Her hand lingered a moment before releasing it to him completely.

            “I don’t presume to know everything going on with you.”  Nathalie began.  “My only guess is that it’s more than anyone your age should be worried about.”

            Adrien gave her a halfhearted smile.

            “It’s nothing, I’m just meeting up with a friend I haven’t seen in a long time.   I’m excited, but I’ve had a weird feeling ever since we decided on a time and place.  With everything else going on in my life, I’m just not sure why _this_ is giving me a mild anxiety attack.”  He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

            Nathalie gave a small, almost knowing smile.

            “You feel guilty, Adrien.” 

            “Guilty?”  Now, he really was confused.  “Why guilty?”

            “You tend to hold yourself to a higher standard than that of your peers.”  She explained.  “While most people your age go out drinking every night, you are negotiating international business deals.  Believe me, it’s perfectly fine for you to go out and act your age.”

            “Why does it feel like you’re giving me permission?”  He quirked an eyebrow with the question.

            “Because it feels like you need it.”  At that statement, she turned to leave.  Not that there was anything else to say.

            She meant well, but that wasn’t what was bothering him.  He couldn’t exactly place what it was, but he definitely knew what it was not.  He glanced down at his watch.  There was a bit of time before his next meeting, maybe a run would dispel some of the nervous energy.

***

            “Thanks for all the help, Nino.”  The elevator dinged as it descended past each floor. “I’m sorry to throw off your schedule.”

            Marinette had insisted on escorting him back to his van.  He could have made it on his own, but he got the sense it gave her an excuse to be out of the office for just a bit longer.  They stood in the small elevator making polite conversation.

            “That woman at the desk,” Nino looked at the ceiling as he spoke, “is she the one that sent you on that crazy errand?”

            An annoyed looked passed over Marinette’s face.  She took a deep breath and chose her words carefully.

            “Nichole.”  She paused as they stepped off the elevator and out into the lobby.  “I don’t know if _I_ did something to get on her bad side, or if she’s like that with everyone.  At least _she_ speaks to me.  No one else has even said a word to me outside of their lunch order.”

            “I thought you were supposed to be gaining job experience.”  He observed. 

            “If my parents ever decide to add a delivery option to the bakery, I’ll be fully prepared.” 

            Nino took it as a good sign that she was able to make light of the situation, but could also see the toll it was taking on her.  Though her eyes still sparkled, they weren’t the same as he remembered from when she was younger.  Seeing that spark dimmed in the slightest was unacceptable to him and it made him feel a deep sympathy for his friend. 

            As they exited the building, Marinette stopped short, as if a thought had just hit her.  She reached out and grabbed Nino’s arm.

            “You can’t tell Adrien about this.  He’s been dealing with a lot and I don’t want to add this to his list of worries.”

            “As close as the two of you are, I’m sure he knows.”  Nino smiled down at her and she dropped his arm. “I’m not going to pretend I didn’t run into you today, but I can leave out some of the details.”

            “Thanks.”  She put on a fake smile.  “Tomorrow will be a week down, only thirteen more to go.  Knowing it has a set time to end always makes it easier to deal with.”

            “That’s quite possibly the least optimistic thing I’ve ever heard you say.”  They continued walking toward the van.  “Don’t let this place get you down.  Promise me you’ll leave before it gets under your skin.”

            “I’ll add you to the growing list of people concerned with my well-being.”  When they reached the van she surprised him by gripping in a tight hug.  He stiffened slightly, but when she pulled away, her smile had shifted into a genuine one. 

            “Thanks again for being such an awesome person, Nino.  You didn’t have to do any of this today.”

            His eyes narrowed, adding a seriousness to his features. 

            “We both know Alya would kill me if I didn’t.”  They shared a friendly chuckle and Marinette made her way back into the office building. 

            As she disappeared through the lobby doors, Nino wasn’t sure what to think about the day’s events.  He had learned one very important fact:  If Marinette was the mystery poster, she hadn’t done it as a joke.  That being said, Adrien was still a possible suspect.  One way or another, Nino was putting this to rest tonight.

***

            Adrien stood outside of the club designated for the evening meetup.  His run earlier had done little to dispel the nagging energy that was following him around.  In fact, it had done just the opposite.  When he made it back to the office, he was almost late for a conference call.  Sweaty and a bit disheveled, he had little time to make himself presentable. 

            When the call had finished, his sweat-moistened clothes had dried and left him feeling gross.  He intended to grab a spare suit from his office, but found only a pair of dark blue relaxed-fit jeans and a black V-neck tee.  These were kept on hand for more casual interviews and media appearances.  It would work out for the evening, but forced him to finish the day in his sweat-encrusted garments. 

            Nino spotted Adrien right away.  Despite all the time spent in front of a camera, the guy was painfully awkward when left to his own devices.  Standing out on the sidewalk, rubbing his arms as if he were chilled, Nino chalked the action up to nervousness.  While he had seen Adrien on numerous media sources, they were always business related or gossip rags attempting to break into his private life.  Not once could he remember a story about the guy hanging out anywhere, much less a club. 

            “Adrien.”  Nino raised a hand in greeting while approaching.  “Long time, no see.”

            “Too long.”  Adrien dropped his left arm to his side, but kept a grip on the upper portion with his right.  When Nino came within proper distance, they gave each other a handshake and pulled in for a friendly pat on the back.

            “You ready to head in?”   Nino pointed to the entrance with his thumb.

            “Please.”  Adrien put on a smile, but his nerves were present in his eyes.  They approached the door and Nino greeted the bouncer with a series of handshakes.  The two finished with a fist-bump. 

            “How’s it going, Bruce?”  Nino addressed the large man.

            “Slow, you know how industry night is.”  Bruce’s navy suit appeared stretched to its limit over his bulky muscles.  Edges of tattoos were visible around his neck and wrist.  “Also means the VIP room is all yours, just clean up when you’re done.”

            “Thanks, man.”  Nino gave Bruce a final handshake and called to Adrien.  “This way.” 

            Bruce took in Adrien as he walked past.  They were the same height, but Bruce had at least a hundred pounds on the former model.  For some reason, Adrien knew he could take him.  It wasn’t a thought he expected to have.  The man hadn’t even threatened him in any way.  Before he could dwell on it, Nino grabbed his wrist and pulled him through the darkened doorway.

            “I spin here pretty regularly.”  Nino explained as they walked down a black-lit hallway coved with plush curtains.  The blue violet glow picked up every stray piece of dust and paper that had made its home on the walls and carpet.  The dull thud of baselines could be felt, but the sound was tapered by the door shutting the hall off from the main club. 

            Adrien kept his eyes trained on that door.  He had been very careful to never step foot into a club.  Not that he had never been asked to make an appearance.  He always turned them down.  It would be free advertising for the establishment that may not reflect well on the family business.  The fact he agreed to meet Nino at one should speak volumes for how bad Adrien felt about not staying in touch.  He was so focused on the door; he didn’t see Nino disappear behind one of the curtains.  It was quite the shock when hands shot out of the nowhere and pulled him through the wall.

            “Dude.”  Nino let go of Adrien’s shoulders to re-adjust the curtains.  “It’s cool, private entrance.”

            Adrien took a few deep breaths and looked around.  There wasn’t much room where they stood, but opposite the curtained entrance were stairs leading up into an unseen area.  Nino took point once again, and he took up the rear. 

            The top of the stairs emptied out into a large open space.  Unlike the rest of the club, this room had decent enough lighting that Adrien could make out the details of his surroundings.  The floor was a light wood brought to a high polish.  More thick purple curtains hung against the walls.  A small stage and several couches were scattered throughout the room.  A bar was set up on the far wall.

            “This place is reserved for private parties and VIP guests.”  Nino explained.  “I know it isn’t the fanciest place in town, but it _is_ the only place I have some pull.  Figured it was better than meeting up somewhere more public.”

            They started walking towards the bar.

            “Thanks.” Adrien relaxed at the considerations of his former best friend.  “It’s been a rough day.  I really appreciate it.”

            “Yeah, rough days seem to be going around.”  Nino commented as sidled behind the bar.  “What can I get for you?”

            “Is there club soda and lime back there?”  Adrien sat down at the bar and began arranging the napkins, plastic stirrers, and condiment bottles that sat up on the counter. 

            “Yeah, what do you want mixed with that?”  Nino grabbed a lime from the mini-fridge that sat under the counter.   He picked up a blue bar rag and threw it over his shoulder.

            “Ice?”  Adrien shrugged and released a small smile.  Nino grabbed another rag and threw it in Adrien’s face.  They shared a friendly laugh and Nino picked up a paring knife to slice the lime. 

            “You mentioned rough days going around.”  Adrien watched as Nino set up a couple of highballs and filled them with ice.  Half a lime was squeezed into each glass, then dropped in on top of the ice.  He grabbed the hose that hung off of the counter and hit the button for club soda, topping off each glass.  He kept one for himself and handed the other off to Adrien.

            Nino walked back around, took up the closest empty stool, and raised his glass.

            “Cheers.”  They clinked their glasses together.

            “Cheers.”  Adrien responded.  They each took a swallow and put down their glasses.         “Now, about those bad days.  Unless you’d like to start catching up from another point in time.”

            Nino stopped a moment to think, took in a deep breath and let out a thoughtful sigh.  He looked into his glass and swirled the liquid with a slight movement of his wrist.

            “I don’t know how the girls did it.”  He let out a chuckle laced in frustration.  “They just picked up from where they left off, and here we are like it’s some awkward first date.”

            “I’m mad at myself for being out of touch.”  Adrien was picking up all of the items on the counter and arranging them in various configurations.  “I abandoned my best friend.”

            “What?”  Nino was confused.  “You didn’t abandon me, I abandoned you.  I knew you were going through something major.  At first, I was just giving you space, then things went south.  By the time I got myself back together, you were going around doing the whole rich and famous thing.  It didn’t feel right trying to just jump back into your life.”

            “I should have made the effort.”  Adrien argued.  Neither one would look at the other.

            “Dude, I know how you are when it comes to the social stuff.  The blame is all on me.”  Nino went back to starring into his drink.  He looked up when he caught sight of a hand in his peripheral vision and followed it up to a halfcocked grin.

            “Hi, I’m Adrien.”

            Nino reached out and playfully punched him in the shoulder.

            “Ok, smartass.”  It felt like a weight had been lifted off of his back.

            “We good?”

            “Yeah.”  Nino agreed.  “The bad day I was talking about wasn’t mine, by the way.”

            “Really?  Whose was it?”  Adrien picked up a cocktail napkin and placed it under his drink to absorb the condensation that had begun to form and run down the side of his glass.

            “Believe it or not, Marinette.”

            “What happened?”  Adrien’s voice took on a panicked tone and he scrambled to pull his phone from his pocket.  “Do I need to call her?  Should I….”    

            Nino grabbed his shoulder to calm him.

            “She’s fine.  Just one of those ‘Send the intern on a crazy task’ situations.”  He explained.  “I happened to be in the area and was able to help out.”

            “Oh, you mean all the food and coffee runs.”  Adrien was visibly relieved.  “Yeah, I warned her about that.  She simply refuses to come work at my company, I understand her reasons, but I don’t really see her benefitting from that hackneyed design house.”

            “Alya’s had to do several interships for her degree.  It was those stupid errands that prompted her to finally get the Vespa.”  Nino reached for his drink and brought it up to take a sip.

            “So, you think a scooter would help her out?”  The gears moving in Adrien’s brain almost made a physical noise. 

            “It would save her time getting across town.”  Nino confirmed.  “Is she properly licensed to drive one?”

            “Yes.  I had one in Uni.  We both would drive it to and from, depending on our schedule.  I started driving the car when the press started getting too obtrusive.  I honestly don’t know what happened to that thing.  It never occurred to me she might want it.”  Adrien tapped his chin thoughtfully.

            “Now that we’ve hashed all that out, let’s order some food.”  Nino grabbed a slip of laminated paper from behind the bar and presented it to Adrien. “I know you’re probably used to much fancier stuff, but I recommend the steak frites.”

***

            “Now you’re starting to sound like Adrien.”  Marinette glared at her friend.  “Honestly, my parent’s didn’t give me as much flak about this as the two of you.”  The two of them were setting up and arranging folding chairs in Alya’s living room. 

            “That neighborhood is super sketch.”  Alya argued.  “My guess is your parents were hoping Adrien could talk you out of it.”

            This made Marinette pause for a moment.  She’d never even thought about that possibility.  Leave it to her parents to realize the more they opposed something, the more she would fight against it. 

            “If I told you I’d at least think about it; could we drop this conversation?”  Marinette cocked her head and looked her friend in the eye.

            “Only if you mean that sincerely.”  Alya sassed back.  “Thanks for helping me set up for tomorrow’s meeting, by the way.”

            “I didn’t realize you held some of the group meetings in your apartment.”

            “Every Friday night.  It’s an open forum for anyone that wants to talk.  Sometimes it’s all anyone needs.”  Alya scanned around the room to make sure everything was in place.  “It also establishes this as a help center for victims, government pays the rent and I have a roof over my head.  Otherwise, I’d still be living with my parents, and I don’t think they would appreciate the weekly intrusion.”

            “That’s fair.”  Marinette agreed.

            “You and Adrien are welcome to attend.”  She paused to adjust the distance between a few of the chairs.  “People show up that were never directly possessed, Pharaoh’s mummies, D’Argentcourt’s knights, and Jackady’s army.  Same as you, some of them multiple times.”

            It took Marinette a moment to register the “same as you” part.  She hadn’t had to keep track of her Ladybug cover stories in so long, she had almost forgotten what it was she had told Alya. 

            “Or like you with Dark Cupid?”  Marinette deflected the focus of the statement.  Alya nodded at her in response.  “Adrien and I are having dinner with my parents this week.  Maybe next time?”

            “Even if you can’t make a meeting, I’m always available to talk, for you or Adrien.”

            The knowing look she sent caused a cold shiver to work its way up Marinette’s spine.  There were so many things she had always wanted to tell her friend.  Even now, after their period of estrangement.  She did the only thing she could and gave Alya a grateful smile.

            “Thanks.”  The phone in Marinette’s pocket buzzed.

            “Speak of the devil.”  Alya stepped into the kitchen to give her some privacy.

            “How’s it going?” Marinette picked up.

            “Just finished, it went great.  I’m heading over to pick you up.” Adrien responded.

            “You didn’t have to call to tell me that.”  She chided sweetly.

            “I just wanted to hear your voice.  See you soon, My Lady.”

            “You too, Chaton.” She whispered the nickname as she hung up.  The walls could still have ears, and she was not in the mood to explain their private nicknames for each other.   

            “I’m surprised it took him this long to call you.”  Alya leaned against the doorway, watching her friend.  “It’s really cute that you still blush like that from just a short phone call.”

            “What about you and Nino?”  Marinette shot back playfully.  “He doesn’t call just to say hello?”

            “Nino and I have a perfectly healthy relationship.”  Alya took on a crossed her arms in mock defense.  “You and Golden Boy, however, are so sweet I’m surprised you both have all your teeth.”

            “Speaking of sweet, I believe I was promised ice cream in exchange for setting up tonight.” 

            “I believe you were.”  Alya tapped her lip.  “Too bad the only kind I have is spumoni.”

            “Only kind?  More like best kind.”  Marinette followed Alya into the kitchen. 

***

                        Adrien hadn’t expected to be on the receiving end of a sloppy kiss when Alya’s door opened.  Marinette had been on the other side and practically jumped into his arms.  Her lips were surprisingly cold and tasted faintly of something sweet.  Maraschino cherry was the strongest flavor he could place.  When she pulled away, he was smiling dopily.

            “What was that about?”  He asked.  “Not that I’m complaining.”

            “Just showing how sickeningly sweet we really can be.”  Marinette stepped back inside to allow him through the door, then closed it behind him. “I’m going to head to the bathroom, then we can go.”  she excused herself and stepped down the hall.

            “Hey, Alya” Adrien nodded as he stepped into the kitchen.

            “Hey yourself, Charming.  How was the man-date?”  She shot him a smug look. 

            “I think we’re both going to be better about staying in contact.”  He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  “Can I ask you a question?”

            “Shoot.”

            “Has Marinette mentioned anything bad going on at her internship?”  He asked.

            “You mean besides her new found intimacy with the menus at all the local cafés?”  Alya thought for a moment.  “Not that I can think of, just the usual intern BS.  Why?”

            “Nothing, I try to give her the freedom she needs in this area, but I get the feeling she’s not telling me everything.”  He shrugged.  “Almost like she’s trying to protect me from something.”

            “You’re a busy guy, and she’s a big girl.”  She chewed her lip a moment.  “This is going to sound like I’m putting my nose where it doesn’t belong, but I’ve seen where her apartment is.  I think you should focus more on getting her to move.  You live in a mansion, I’m sure there’s enough space somewhere.”

            “I’ve been against that place since she told me she was moving in there.”  He somberly agreed.  “Your living room is bigger than the entire floorplan, and the shower sits so low I haven’t bathed decently in weeks.”

            “Don’t tell me _you_ moved in _there_.”  Her eyes were wide and mouth slightly open in disbelief.

            “Officially, it’s only been a few days, but I’ve spent most of my free time there anyway.”  He sighed.  “Sometimes she can be really stubborn.”

            “Well, I’m on your team with this one.”  Alya agreed.  “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

            “Help with what?”  Marinette emerged from the hallway.

            “I was just giving Adrien the same invite to the weekly group meeting I gave you earlier.”  Alya shot Adrien the “Go with it” look.

            “I’ll see if I can fit it into my schedule.”  He hoped that was the right answer.

            “Well, we have to get going.”  Marinette said.  “Early mornings all around.”  Adrien grabbed her hand and they both made their way out the door.

            “See you soon!”  Alya called out as she closed the door behind them.

            She started cleaning up after her visitor when the tone for a video call filled the air.  She grabbed the phone and walked into the bedroom.  Nino’s face popped up on the screen.

            “Are you alone?”  He asked.

            “Is that a threat or an invitation?”  She responded in a sultry tone.

            “I’m going to guess that tone means you are.”  He smiled at her.  “This is about Adrien.”

            “I thought everything went well.”  Her brows furrowed in concern, and she took a seat on the bed.

            “It did, but I was kind of in recon mode and noticed a few things.”  His tone was serious.

            “Like what?”

            “The biggest thing was how nervous he was the entire time.  I would almost say fidgety.  Which kind of leads into the touching thing.”  Nino took a moment, trying to figure out how to explain it.

            “He got a little too hands-y with you?”  She wasn’t quite sure what he could have been talking about.

            “No,” Nino shook his head, “It was more like everything had to be arranged just right.  If he wasn’t moving stuff, he kept reaching for his phone, wanting to call or text Marinette.  I would have thought it was him still being head over heels for her, but I’ve seen behavior like this before.”

            “Your dad….”  She whispered.

            “Yeah.”  He agreed.  “He’s a recovering alcoholic, and I took him to a bar.”

            “Nino, I had no idea, Marinette never said anything.”

            “Neither did he, I kind of put it all together after the fact.  We had access to a full bar and he only drank club sodas with lime.  So, he made it through like a champ.  Marinette must be a part of his network, and I kept him from contacting her in a situation like that.  I feel like such a jerk.”

            “At this point, you’re just speculating.”  She tried to reassure him.

            “We’ve seen it before; he wouldn’t be the first person to deal with their problems at the bottom of a bottle.  Look at Ivan.”  Nino pointed out.

            “Yeah, but he’s never quite grasped the recovery part.  Not that I blame him.”  Alya commented.

            “Even so, my dad did make it that far.  I’ve seen him do some of the same stuff, especially in the first couple of years.  People think you just quit, and that’s it.  I watched him deal with triggers and self-coping.    Once you’ve seen it, it’s easier to spot in other people.”  Stress was evident in his voice.

            “Let’s not jump to conclusions.”  Alya attempted to calm him down. “This might be something they want to keep private.  If it were something as big as that, I’m sure he would have said something.”

            “If it isn’t that, something still isn’t right.  I know he’s always been a little awkward, but this is on a whole other level.”  Nino took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

            “Well, there’s nothing to be done about it, tonight.”  She pointed out.  “I say we sleep on it.  After that, we tread carefully.”

            “Ok, but sleeping is happening later.  I have a big gig that’s running pretty late tomorrow.  I need to get back on my weekend cycle.  I’m staying up tonight, then sleeping all day tomorrow.  So good luck with the meeting.  You’re welcome to come watch me after it lets out.”

            “I’ll think on it.” Alya said.  “Break a leg at the gig tomorrow.”

            “Love you too.”


	15. Puddles can be lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After her last plan failed, Nichole takes her mission to ruin Marinette to a whole new level.

            “Don’t forget about dinner tonight.”  Adrien opened her car door while reminding her of the evening’s event.

            “I’m looking forward to it!”  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down for a quick goodbye kiss.  When they pulled apart, he was smiling down at her.

            “Why do I get the feeling you’re planning something?”  She glared playfully.

            “Because I’m always planning something.”  The grin never left his face. 

            “I’ll see you tonight.”  She giggled and playfully swat at his cheek.  Adrien released her and she ran off towards the building.

            As soon as Marinette was out of sight, Adrien shut the car door and pulled out his phone.  Walking around to the driver’s side door, he dialed up Nathalie.

            “Good morning, Adrien.”  Her voice was even as it came over the line.

            “Morning, Nathalie.”  He responded, slipping into the car.  “Just checking that it’s still okay for me to work remotely today.”

            “You’ll be able to join the two conference calls planned?”  She asked.

            “Absolutely,” he confirmed, “and I will have access to my phone and email for the entire day.”

            “Everything should be perfectly fine.”  Her voice softened a bit.  “Good luck.”

            “Thanks, Nathalie.” 

            Adrien casually tossed the device into the passenger seat, then secured his seatbelt.  Keeping his eyes on the surrounding traffic, he turned the engine. Merging into the morning flow of vehicles, he made his way toward the Agreste mansion. 

***

            Marinette stepped out of the elevator feeling better than she had all week.  As hard as it had been to deal with everything, she still made it though.  Overall, she had dealt with far worse during her time as the city’s miraculous protector. Nobody’s life was at stake if she forgot the extra foam on a latte.  This thought kept her smiling bright as she approached the reception desk.

            Nichole was less than thrilled to see the glow practically radiating from Marinette as she approached.  She schooled her features into a pleasantly fake smile and held out the usual folded piece of paper between two fingers.  Marinette plucked it from the slim digits and unfolded the order.  She squinted at the writing and cocked her head to the side.

            “This doesn’t look quite right.”  Confusion was evident in her tone.

            “I assure you, it’s the same as it has been all week.”  Nichole never turned to look at the perplexed intern. 

            “If you say so.”  Cautious skepticism evident in her voice.

            “What are you waiting for? Shoo, shoo.”  The all too familiar hand flick followed.

            Taking another glance between the paper in her hand and the woman behind the desk, Marinette let out a defeated sigh and turned to leave.  A soft humming followed her down the hall to the elevator.

            “Je te plumerai la tete.”  Nichole whispered lyrically as she heard the elevator doors shut.  A self-satisfied grin crossing her features.  She took a moment to chuckle at her own personal stroke of genius. 

            While Marinette had been suspicious, she was entirely too new to spot the subtle changes that had been made to the order.  Some names were switched around and milk to sugar ratios altered.  Nothing that would be thought of as anything more than a newbie mistake.

            The fabric errand had been an utter failure on her part.  The problem with it came from the task being too big, too obvious.  This particular girl required more finesse.  It required getting more creative than she had been in the past.   The only thing she enjoyed more than torturing coddled interns was a challenge.  After yesterday’s events, Marinette had officially changed from a minor inconvenience to a challenge.

            The moment Nichole handed off the morning beverage order, the game was in play.  Now, all she had to do was sit back and wait for the carnage to unfold.  The girl would go through the same ritual all the interns did.  Hand the order to the barista and walk out with the drinks.  In the process losing any evidence the mistakes had been from a faulty order.   

            When the elevator signaled Marinette’s return, Nichole could not contain the joy she gained from the sight in front of her.  Of course the girl had the stack of drinks, but she was soaking wet.  The front of her shirt and skirt tinged a slight grey by some obviously dirty water.  This was better than anything she could have orchestrated herself.  Nichole had to quickly skew the emotion on her face to one of fake concern.

            “Oh my!  What happened?” 

            “There was a large puddle near the curb outside the café.”  Marinette placed the drinks on the counter.  “As I was walking by, a group of cyclists drove through it and splashed me.  It soaked through everything, including my pockets.  All the ink on the drink list ran and I couldn’t make out any of the orders.”

            “So you just guessed on all of the orders?”  This was getting better and better.  Maybe the girl’s inexplicable luck had finally run out. 

            Marinette shook her head.

            “The barista saw the whole thing.  She’s been prepping the order all week, bad with names, but makes it a point to remember regular orders.  She was able to get it put together.”

            “How lucky for you…..”  Nichole moved her hands under the desk to hide the reflexive fists they had balled into.  Her teeth were beginning to clench and her nostrils flared as deeper breaths were being taken in and out of her nose.

            “If you say so.”  Marinette placed the drinks on the desk so she could fully assess the damage to her clothing.  “I’m actually having dinner with my parents tonight.  Not to mention I have to go through my whole day looking like an unkempt mess.”

            “Awe, that’s horrible.”  False concern dripped from Nichole’s voice as her whole demeanor relaxed.  Things may not have gone to plan, but it wasn’t a total loss.  A new idea wormed its way into her thoughts.  “I know you don’t have a way to get home and come back quickly, but I do have a few tasks that don’t necessarily require you to be seen around the office.”

            “Really?”  Marinette looked up from her inspection.  “What kind of tasks?”

            “Filing.” A saccharine smile graced her lips.  “There’s a backlog of some of our past runs piling up.  Everyone is really too busy to do anything about them, but if they were to be properly organized they could get prepped for publication.  You may even pick up a thing or two while organizing all of them.”

            Marinette’s eyes grew wide.  She looked almost refreshed, despite her puddle-soiled garments. It was that very spark of joy Nichole vowed to extinguish.

            “That would be great!   Where are they at?  I haven’t seen any rooms holding stuff like that up here.”

            “It’s in the basement.  You will be completely out of the way, but cell service is terrible down there.  So, if you need to get in contact with anyone, you have to use the landline.”  Nichole stood and pushed in her chair.  “Let me show you where it is before everyone else starts to show up.”

            The two of them walked to the elevator.  Nichole pressed the button for the basement, and the two rode in silence.

            “Thank you.” 

            “Pardon?”  Nichole turned to look at Marinette.

            “You’re the only person here that even talks to me.  I know I’m just an intern, and my guess is you deal with so many that you don’t try to get close to any of them.  Still, with the morning I’ve had, this is a huge help.”  She smiled at the woman next to her.

            Nichole schooled her face to convey indifference. 

            “Like everyone else, I just come in and I do my job.” 

            The elevator announced its arrival with a ding and light bounce.  When the doors opened, they revealed a hallway flanked by brick walls.  Bare bulbs hung from the ceiling in procession, dimly lighting the way.  They cast an odd green hue along the hall that emphasized every variation and crack on the stone and concrete surface that stretched into the distance.   Nichole stepped out of the elevator with Marinette in tow. 

            “This kinda looks like the start of a horror movie.”  Marinette followed the statement with a nervous giggle.

            “Doesn’t it though?” Nichole internalized a grin and continued down the ominous passage, Marinette followed close behind.

            While digging in her pocket for a set of keys, Nichole clued the other woman in on the task. 

            “When we moved from our old offices a few years ago, all of the designs for past lines were boxed up and thrown down here.  No one has really taken responsibility for it, so everything just sits untouched.  Except for when the next set of boxes gets sent down at the end of the season.

            “You are going to sort everything by year and by season.  Then, file them chronologically.”  The two of them reached a door at the end of the hallway.  Nichole pressed a key into the lock and turned.  After a soft ‘click’ was heard, she returned the key to her pocket.  Grasping the handle, she turned it and pushed the door open with a flourish. 

            “Here it is!”  Nichole flicked on the lights.

            Marinette stepped around her to look inside.  This room was surprisingly well-lit.  Fluorescent bulbs tucked behind sheets of plastic were patterned between textured white pressboard ceiling tiles.  The redbrick walls created a grid with their greying mortar and bordered a smooth concrete floor.   She could not gauge the full size of the room as stacks of office boxes blocked the view of the back wall.

            She stepped past Nichole and further into the room.  A discarded stepstool lay on its side near a toppled stack of boxes.  The ceiling was fairly low, but still high enough that she would need the stool to reach the top of the stacks in front of her.

            “Where should I put all of these as I sort them?”  She turned to see Nichole leaning in the doorframe, inspecting her nails.

            “There are some filing cabinets in back, but until you reach them, you’ll have to figure out the rest of the stuff yourself.”  She stood up and turned to leave.  “Have fun.” 

            Marinette wanted to call out to the retreating form, but wasn’t sure what to say.  Looking around again, she spotted the phone mounted above the light switch.  Stepping over to the door, she pulled it shut and locked it for good measure.  Blocking out the creepy hallway made things a lot easier to assess. 

            “Now,” she pushed up her sleeves, “let’s get started.”

***

            Adrien ended the conference call.  With a deep breath, he stepped out of the office and onto the bay floor.  Striding past a few cars, he approached a man inspecting a black MBK TrypTik.

            “How’s it looking, Marc?” 

            “Some minor fixes, have to flush the lines, but overall she’s in pretty good shape.”  The mechanic looked up from his work.  “Mostly the usual problems that come from just letting them sit.  I’m assuming you kept it in the garage, that prevented any major problems with the body.  I can be done by this afternoon.”

            “That would be great.”  Adrien offered his hand to help the Marc stand.  “Thanks for letting me use your office by the way.”

            “No problem.  You’re a busy guy, and one of my best clients.  I’m just mad you haven’t been taking proper care of this pretty girl right here.  I didn’t even know you still had her.”  He patted the bike’s handle.  “I would have been happy to keep up with it when doing the motor pool maintenance.”

            “I wasn’t aware I still had it myself.”  Adrien nervously chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.  “It was under a tarp behind a stack of spare tires.  I literally tripped over it.  You’re the best guy I know for getting stuff done quickly.”

            “It’s what I do.”  Marc smiled.  “Now, you are welcome to hang out in my office to conduct your business, or you can head out and do whatever it is you young executive types do.  I’ll have her ready around three.  Do you want me to call you, or deliver it?”

            “Delivery would be awesome.”  Adrien smiled.  “Saves me the trouble of hauling it around.  Thanks for picking it up, too.”

            “Alright, get out or I’ll never get started.  See you this afternoon.” 

            After being unceremoniously displaced, Adrien headed back to his car. 

***

            Marinette sneezed as she disturbed a pile of dust from the last of the older boxes.  She had accumulated her own thin layer of the substance and it left her feeling dry and thirsty. 

            After wiping her hand on her hip, she pulled out her phone to check the time.  Her eyes grew wide with realization; it was a quarter to one.  Well past lunch time, and she had not picked up the orders.  Not to mention eating something herself.  Shoving the phone back in her pocket, Marinette walked over to the handset on the wall and picked up the receiver.  There was no dial-tone.  Frustrated, she left the room, and shut the door. 

            The ride to the seventh floor felt like it was taking forever.  To her own discomfort, a delivery man stepped onto the elevator when it reached the lobby.  He seemed slightly shocked to see a giant dust bunny already standing inside, but continued on with his task.  He looked at the panel and confirmed that the floor he needed was already pressed.

            When the familiar ding and bump signaled the doors opening, he stepped aside to let Marinette move out ahead of him.  She approached the desk in a tizzy.

            “I’m so sorry, I lost track of time, then the phone didn’t work….” 

            Nichole looked up from her desk at the grime covered being in front of her.  She gave a smile, hoping it appeared comforting. 

            “It’s fine, we had a catered event for the floor today.”  She dropped her smile.  “I tried calling, and when you didn’t pick up I assumed you went out for lunch.  We cleaned everything up already.  Looks like you’re going to have to go out and grab something anyway.”

            Marinette hung her head and stepped aside for the delivery man that was standing behind her.

            “Hello, how may I help you?”  Nichole turned her charm on for the gentleman.  He was not impressed.

            “I have a delivery for a Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”  He dropped a flat brown box on the counter.

            Both Marinette and Nichole snapped their heads up.

            “Um, that’s me.”  She spoke meekly and raised her right hand up to her shoulder to lightly wave.

            “Sign here and here.”  He held out a digital pad for her.

            When she had finished, he tipped his hat to both of them and left.

            “What is this?”  Nichole shoved the package in Marinette’s direction.

            “I’m just as clueless as you are.”  She reached over to open it up.

            The lid slipped off easily, revealing white tissue paper folded around the contents.  Placing the lid on the counter, Marinette peeled back the tissue paper carefully.  A light pink summer cardigan lay neatly folded with a note on top. 

            “Thought this would be more appropriate for dinner tonight.”  It was signed with a smiling cat face.

            Marinette smiled and pulled out the cardigan, careful not to transfer any of her current dirt onto it.  Removing the garment revealed a white camisole and a pair of light grey slacks.  She almost teared up at seeing the clean clothes.  Carefully, she replaced the contents and closed the box. 

            “Who was that from?”  Nichole just couldn’t win today.  What were the chances a change of clothes would just show up when she needed them most?

            “My...boyfriend.”  Marinette placed a hand over her mouth, pink creeping over her cheeks at the statement.  “That’s the first time I’ve said that out loud.”

            “Oh, a new relationship?”  Nichole decided to gather as much information as she could on this mysteriously blessed intern.

            “No, we’ve known each other for years.”  Marinette considered how to phrase it.  “We just hadn’t put any labels on it until recently.”

            “Ahh.”  Nichole wasn’t sure what she could do with that information.

            “Well, I should go clean up.”  Marinette snapped back into reality, gathered her package, and took off towards the restroom.

            Nichole glared from her stationary position.  What planet did this girl come from?  No one could be this happy or this lucky.  Nothing in her own life had ever worked out so well.  Who was this person to deserve such happiness?

            “That little bird needs a lesson on life, and I’m gonna give it to her.”

            Marinette shoved her soiled clothes into the trashcan.  There was no point in trying to salvage the garments.  The puddle water and dust grime had settled in for way too long. 

            The change of clothes and a scrub up in the bathroom sink had her feeling human again.  There wasn’t going to be time for getting lunch, but something from the vending machine could hold her over until dinner. 

            When Marinette reappeared at the desk, Nichole had to hold back a scowl. 

            “Someone’s looking better.” 

            “I’m feeling better.”  Marinette smiled cheerfully.

            “How is the project going downstairs?”  Nichole hoped a reminder of the impossible task would cause that smile to fade.

            “Honestly, I’m almost done.”  She gave a shrug.  “There was a path to the filing cabinets behind the first row of boxes.  After that, the hardest part was labeling everything.”

            “You have got to be kidding me.”  Nichole whispered. 

            “What?”

            “Then you’re better off helping me!”  She said a little louder.  “Might as well get through your normal tasks, since you’re technically behind, now.”

            “Oh…right.”  Marinette took off towards the office area.  “Better hurry if I want to finish on time.”

            “Good luck.”  Nichole threw after her, then under her breath, “Not that you’ll need it.”


	16. Family Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette wraps up her first week at Lyon Creations.

            Marinette escaped the Lyon Creations building with a small bounce in her step.  Scanning the flow of people outside, her brow furrowed in concern.  Adrien hadn’t mentioned he would be late.  There was no sign of the black sedan anywhere on the street.  She was ready to panic, when a tall figure dressed in a suit and a black motorcycle helmet caught her attention.  She relaxed when he flipped over a sign in his hands that read “Buginette” in a fancy cursive script. 

            Dodging through the river of people, Marinette ran up to the well-dressed biker.  Reaching up, she flipped up the visor to reveal bright green eyes and a goofy smile. 

            “You really should be careful with those nicknames, chaton.” She admonished playfully.

            “Ah, but how else would I get your attention, My Lady?”  Dropping to one knee, Adrien grabbed Marinette’s hand and brought it to his lips through the open visor.  A pink blush crept its way onto her cheeks.  He kept the grip on her hand as he returned to a standing position. 

            Nichole watched on in disgust as the man in the helmet led Marinette to a fancy black scooter.  A single rose waited on the seat, next to a matching red helmet.  The bubbly little bird smiled and laughed as the man put the helmet on for her.  The rose and sign were both tucked away in the storage compartment and the two of them mounted the vehicle. 

            As they sped off into the distance, she had to physically suppress the bile that rose into her throat.  That woman already led a charmed life at work.  If the display she just witnessed was any indication, Marinette was living in some sort of alternate fairytale reality. 

            It would be morally reprehensible if she were to let this birdie out of her care without showing her what the world was really like.           Something from above had seen the injustice the world was doing to this lost chickadee and had placed her in Nichole’s path so that she may right that wrong.  

            Nichole walked the short distance to her apartment, smiling to herself.  Being tasked with a matter of such great importance and magnitude should be taken extremely seriously, but nothing said she couldn’t have a little fun while doing it.

***

            Marinette wrapped her arms around Adrien’s waist as they zipped along the Seine.  This had been an unexpected treat.   She wasn’t even aware Adrien still had the scooter.  When he took off in the direction opposite of the bakery, Marinette decided to enjoy the scenery.  Her cardigan caught the in the wind, flapping behind her as it rode the tendrils of air surrounding the two of them.  The helmet kept it off of her face, but she found herself missing the sensation of the air caressing her cheeks. 

            This felt different than riding with Alya.  There was no sudden speeding or weaving to catch her off guard.  The pace was comfortable and safe.  She could feel Adrien’s body tense slightly before making any turns or lane changes.  For a moment, she was reminded of swinging through the air, her arm wrapped around a black clad waist.

            Finally, they came to a stop in front of her parents’ bakery. 

            “That was wonderful!”  Marinette chirped while removing her helmet.  It wasn’t until she dismounted that she realized something wasn’t quite right.  “Why is the bakery so dark?  They don’t close for another hour.”

            Adrien walked past her and up to the front entrance.  He paused in front of a slip of paper taped to the inside of the door.

            “It appears they are closed for a private event.”  He dug into his pocket.  “Good thing I remembered my keys.”

            “Let’s use the private entrance.”  She suggested. 

            “Grand idea, My Lady.”  Adrien bowed, extending his arm towards the side of the bakery.

            Marinette covered her mouth with one hand as she giggled, the flush on her cheeks matching her cardigan.  She gave the best curtsy wearing pants would allow, then took the lead to the door.  Adrien followed behind and unlocked the door as she stood off to the side.

            When they entered the main floor of the house, everything was strangely dark.

            “Something isn’t right.”  Marinette looked around the living room and kitchen.  “They would never forget a family meal……”

            “Let’s go check upstairs.”  Adrien took one of her hands, attempting to coax her up the stairs leading to her old room. 

            “Why would they be up there?”  She was confused.  “The only thing up there is the stuff that couldn’t fit into my apartment.”

            “Another reason for a bigger place.”  He pointed out. “But that’s a conversation for another time.  C’mon.  Trust me.”

            She couldn’t resist the bright smile that he flashed in her direction.  With a light sigh, she followed his lead. 

            There was nothing new or different about the room from when she had moved out.  Boxes were neatly stacked against the undecorated walls.  Marinette thought about everything her parents could use the space for instead of the storage unit it currently was.  Maybe it was time for her to give in and agree on a bigger place.  A small tug on her hand brought her out of her thoughts.

            “This way.”  Adrien let go of her hand when they reached the small staircase leading to the loft.  “Give me a second.”

            He moved up the steps quickly and propped open the door on the ceiling.

            “The balcony?”  She cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.  “Why would they be up there?”

            He responded with a mischievous smile before disappearing through the open portal.  Looking around the room one more time, Marinette shrugged to herself and followed.

***

            Alya placed the disposable cups next to the bottles of water she had lined up on the table. 

People would be showing up soon.  The crowd varied from week to week, but there were a few regulars.  When the doorbell rang, she wasn’t surprised to see Jalil on the other side.

            “It’s been quite a week, huh?” He smiled sheepishly.

            She returned the smile and stepped aside to let him enter, then propped open the door.

            “Do you want to talk about it with the group?”  Alya asked.

            “Actually, yeah.”  He grabbed a bottle of water and passed it back and forth between his hands. The action was more out of a need to keep hands busy than thirst.

            “Anything I can do to help finish setting up?  It looks like the chairs are already handled.”

            “Not really, Marinette came over last night and helped me with most of the setting up.”  She crossed her arms in front of herself as she gave one more glance around the room, mentally checking off everything that had been done.

            “Wow, she’s been super helpful all of a sudden.”  Jalil commented cautiously.  “It’s like she just appeared out of nowhere.”

            “I know it might seem weird, but I’ve known her for years.  We’ve been out of touch, but that’s just because she threw herself into school.  She’s always wanted to be a fashion designer, and when she gets focused on a goal it’s a lot like tunnel vision.”  She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye.  “She’s not the first person to deal with her problems that way.”

            “You’re right.”  Jalil agreed.  “It’s hard to forget how much I threw myself into research until things went bad for Alix.”

            “But you came out of it.  You are there for her now, that’s what matters.”

            “I know.”  A tiny smile found its way to his lips.  “It’s probably why I’m so protective of her now.”

            “Hello?”  A new voice came in through the door.

            “How about you help me greet everyone, and I’ll let you lead the discussion?”  Alya jerked her head in the direction of the entrance. 

            Jalil nodded, then followed her to greet the large man wringing a cap in his hands.

            “Welcome back, Ivan.”

***

            A confused smile inched its way onto Marinette’s face as she emerged onto the small balcony.  Slightly faded floor cushions were spread on the ground around her old wooden spool table.  A teapot, two cups, and two bamboo steamer baskets sat atop the table’s surface.

            “This looks like what we used to do back…” 

            “I know.”  Adrien cut off her statement.  “I promised you a perfect first date, and this is it.” 

            He led her to the closest cushion and made sure she was seated before joining her in front of the table.  He started pouring the tea before continuing his explanation.

            “I thought about it, and I didn’t think there could be a better “official first date” than the one we’ve already had.”

            “Already had?”  She looked even more confused as he handed her a steaming cup.

            “The day after we revealed our identities.”  He took a sip from his own cup and gave her a moment to think. 

            Her nose scrunched and eyebrows furrowed as she looked into her tea.  Marinette stopped chewing her bottom lip so she could walk herself through the memory out loud. 

            “You skipped out on an afternoon photoshoot.  Showed up at the bakery, but I was out with Alya.  When I came home, you were in the kitchen making dumplings with Mama….”  She brought her head up to look in his eyes.  “She kicked you out of the kitchen, and we brought the cushions up here.  When we didn’t hear the call for dinner, Papa brought it up to us and we ate dinner right here.  Just talking and laughing.”

            “Nathalie was sooo mad.”  Adrien added.  “But she covered for me with Dad.  Said there was a big school project that had popped up.  She took the blame for missing the shoot, said she double booked me.”

            Marinette chuckled at the memory.  She took a breath before a questioning look crossed her face.

            “That was just us hanging out, why would you call it a date?”

            “We’d been in love with each other for a long time.” He put his cup back on the table.  Looking into her eyes, he leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her lips.  Lingering in the space, he rested his forehead against hers.

            “That was just the first day we knew it at the same time.”

***

            Jalil shut the door to the apartment and took a deep breath.

            “Can I help you clean up?”

            “I’d really appreciate it.”  Alya was already folding up and stacking chairs.  “If we can get this knocked out, I might be able to still catch Nino’s gig tonight.”

            “Where’s it at?”  He began collecting loose trash from around the room.  “It’s been awhile since Kevin and I had a night out.”

            “It’s at _The Den_.  I’ve been a few times, it’s one of the classier clubs.  Not the crazy meat market college singles tend to hang out at.” 

            “Oh, but the name sounds so scandalous.”  A genuine smile accompanied his joking tone.  “Let me call Kevin, so he can get ready.  We can pick him up on the way.”

            “Sounds awesome.” 

***

            “Dinner was great.”  Marinette sighed as she leaned against Adrien’s shoulder.  “I can’t believe you had Mama make all that for us.”

            “Nope, I made it.”  He used his peripheral vision to see her reaction.  “Mama just made sure it would still be hot when we got here.”

            “When did you?”  Her eyes widened with surprise.

            “I worked remotely today.” He reached around her waist to gently pull her a little closer to his side.  “I came over and made it all before heading out to pick you up.  I’ve been planning this with your parents for a few days.”

            “You’ve just been a busy little bee today.”  She snuggled into him and gave a contented sigh.  “Though I really thought you were going to make reservations at some fancy restaurant.”

            “I know for a fact that wouldn’t be what you wanted.”  He ran his hand in slow circles on her back.  “I think you and I have very different ideas about us going public.  We’re not going to have some crazy press conference or anything.  I just want to be able to acknowledge our relationship.  That bachelor spread was really rough on me.  I know you said you were fine with it, but I never was.”

            “I’m so sorry.”  Marinette removed herself from his embrace.  Walking over the cushions on her knees, she placed herself in front of him.  She gave him a stern, yet soft look.  “You need to tell me things like that more often.  I wanted to do what was best for you and had no idea that’s how you felt.”

            Leaning in, she wrapped him in a tight hug.  Adrien smiled and let her weight push him backwards onto the cushions.  They lay there for a moment, taking in each other’s breathing, but soon had to adjust when Marinette’s hands started to fall asleep.

            “We should probably get ready to head home.”  She brought up.  “It’s going to take some time to drop off the scooter and pick up the car.”

            “About that,” He turned on his side and smiled down at her. “the scooter’s yours.”

            “What?”  She sat up quickly and he couldn’t help but smile at the disbelieving expression on her face.

            “Yep.”  He remained coolly stretched out on his side.  “Nino told me what it was like for Alya as an intern.  He said her Vespa was the best investment she’s ever made.  I figured you wouldn’t be comfortable with me getting you one outright, but no one is using the TrypTik.”

            She was about to protest, but he put up a hand to stop her. 

            “I had a mechanic look at it, he said just letting it sit there can do some major damage on its own.  You’d be doing me a favor by taking it off of my hands.”

            Marinette crossed her arms and glared at him for a moment.  She released a breath, and her whole body relaxed in defeat.

            “Ok,” She relented, then shifted her expression to one of amusement. “but only if you shave.  That ‘bad boy’ look just doesn’t suit you.”

            “Deal.”  He grinned, then reached out and pulled her down for a kiss.

***

            “There it is.”  The bulky man checked Alya’s name off the list on the clipboard.  He reached out and unclipped the rope from its post.  “Have fun.”

            Alya waved for Jalil and Kevin to follow her.  The bouncer snapped the rope back into place.  Once through the door, they stepped into a small lounge.  The only décor choice for the area seemed to be red.

              To the left, the coat check room was being manned by a very bored woman scrolling through her phone.  On the right, a set of stairs leading to a second floor.  Base notes and blue lights leaked down the open walkway, but were not invasive.

            “I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced, I’m Alya.”  She stuck out her hand to the tall man with dark skin and black hair.

            “Kevin.”  His smile was large and bright as he took it and gave a firm squeeze.  “Jalil talks about you all the time.”  

            “He’s been a huge help.  Sorry to take up so much of his time with _The LadyBlog_.” 

            “I completely understand.  You do good work” He released her hand and reached back for Jalil’s.  They were similar enough in height that it didn’t take much for them to look into each other’s eyes.  Matching smiles appeared on their faces.

            “I’m going to head backstage and surprise my other half.  This is the first time I’ve taken him up on a Friday night invite, so it will be a lot more fun this way.”  She pointed to the stairs.  “You two go have fun.  We’ll schedule a double date sometime and catch up for real.”

            “Do we need to take you home?”  Jalil asked. 

            “Nope.”  Alya’s hair bounced with the shake of her head.  “Thanks for bringing me, though.”

            The couple waved to her one last time before climbing the stairs into the club. 

            Once they were out of sight, she casually walked up to the woman behind the coat check counter. 

            “I’m going to need you to let me into the backstage entrance.” 

            The woman froze and slowly looked up from her phone.  Her eyes scanned Alya up and down.  The black Bardot flare dress and white leggings seemed to get approval, but the comfortable black canvas hi-tops were met with a sour look.

            “Not happening.”  The woman returned her attention to her phone.

            “Look,” Alya pressed her hands onto the counter and leaned into the employee’s personal space.  “Call the manager.  All I have to say is one word, and they’ll send me a personal escort.”

            “Yeah, right.” With a roll of her eyes, she picked up the landline handset from the wall to her ear.  There was a pause after the extension was dial.   “Hey, there’s some chick down here demanding to be let in the back entrance...”  She didn’t get to finish as Alya snatched the phone away and brought the receiver in front of her mouth.

            “Lahiffe.”  She stated plainly, then hung up the phone.

            “What is wrong with you?”  The coat check clerk went nearly cross-eyed in anger.

            “4…3….2….1” Alya began ticking off on her own fingers.

            “Ms. Césaire.” A man dressed in a grey suit and purple V-neck emerged from a door at the back of the coat check room.  “Right this way.”

            Ignoring the door to her left, Alya jumped over the counter and flashed a smug smile at the shocked coat jockey. 

            Once they were through the door, she looked at the man in the grey suit.

            “Thank you.  I appreciate the escort.”

            “It’s the only request Nino ever has when we ask him to perform.   Though this is the first time it’s ever been used.”

            “Is he already in the booth?”  She asked as they walked between road cases and scattered equipment.

            “Yep.  Are you interested in dancing, or would you like to watch from the private lounge?”

            “Lounge please.  It’s been a long day and my dogs are already barking.”  She laughed and the manager joined in.

            “There’s a stocked minibar inside, you have to mix your own drinks, but they are on the house.” 

            “Thanks!”  She continued to follow him up a narrow set of stairs. 

            At the top, he opened a non-descript black door.  Once they were both inside, he gave her a quick tour of the small space. 

            “There’s the couch, the mini-fridge, the clock, the bathroom, and that door leads to the catwalk.”  He pointed to the door on the opposite side of the room.  “You can watch from out there.  It’s the only way in and out of the booth, so he’ll see you when the set is finished.”

            “Thank you, again.”  Alya smiled.  “This is way cool!”

            “If you need anything else, dial 433 on that phone.”  He pointed to the receiver on the wall.  “Ask for Antonio.”

            “Nice to meet you Antonio.”

            “Nice to meet you too, Ms. Césaire.”  Antonio smiled and left the room.

            Alya grinned to herself.

            “This is going to be one hell of a night.”

          


	17. Banana Muffins and Earl Grey Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's morning does not go as planned.

            Marinette jerked from sleep by the sound of her default ringtone.  Adrien let out a low grumble and tightened his grip around her waist as she reached out for the offending item.  She just managed to grab the phone before it went to voicemail.

            “Hello?”  Her voice heavy with sleep.

            “MARINETTE!”  Nichole’s screech made her pull the phone away from her now partially deaf ear.  Adrien reluctantly released her so they could both sit up.

            “What is it?” A glance at the cat clock told her it was just after five in the morning. 

            “There’s been an emergency down at the office.  I need you here, ASAP.”  Her panicked tone help wake Marinette up just a bit more.

            “It’s going to take me at least an hour, hour and a half, to get down there.” 

            “Whatever!  Just hurry!”  The line went dead.

            Silence filled the apartment as she stared at the phone resting in her palm.

            “I guess I have to go in this morning….”

            Adrien stretched, then rubbed the crust from his eyes. 

            “I wonder what kind of emergency warrants a five a.m. phone call to an intern.”  He grumped.

            “Dunno,” She threw the blanket off of her legs and swung them over the side of the bed.  “Maybe everyone really needs coffee?”

            Adrien reached for his own phone as she made her way towards the bathroom.  A scowl grew on his face as he scrolled through his emails.  When Marinette reemerged, she was as close to fuming as he had ever seen her.

            “She just _texted_ me a drink and breakfast order……”  She took in several deep breaths, then released them through clenched teeth.  “Why hasn’t she been doing this all week?”

            After a few more breaths, she made a self-calming motion with her hands.  Adrien raised an eyebrow at her.

            “It must be a workplace emergency.  I don’t have anything industry related coming across my desk.”

            “The order was just enough food for two people.”  She looked at it again.  “I’m assuming it’s not including me.”

            “Do you mind dropping me off at the office on your way in?”  He shot her a  lopsided grin.

            “That’s right.” She smacked herself in the forehead. “We were going to pick up the car before taking my parents out to dinner tonight.  I’m sorry about this.” 

            “No problem.  I was out of the office all day yesterday.  There’s bound to be papers that need signing and sensitive emails that need answering.  I’ll get a driver to pick me up when I’m done, you come by the mansion when you’re finished.  We’ll continue with our normal plans from there.”  He stepped out of the bed and rotated his neck.  “In the meantime, take your time getting ready.  Don’t let them think they can just walk all over you.” 

            “Ok.”  She smiled at him.  “If I’m not mistaken, you have some shaving to do before we go anywhere.”

***

            Nino grinned as he stepped into the bedroom.  With each foot propped up on separate pillows, Alya somehow managed to take up the entire queen-sized bed and still have an arm hanging off the bottom.  The duvet showed evidence of drool escaping her lips along with the grinding sounds of her open-mouthed snore.

            After finishing the gig, he’d been surprised to find her asleep on the couch in the lounge.  Sitting on top of the fridge had been two empty minis of Fortaleza.  That, coupled with her lack of sleep the last few days, was all the explanation he needed. 

            With the help of some of the club staff, he managed to transport her from the club to his van.  Luckily, _The Den_ provided their own gear.  Short of his personal bag, no packing up was needed.  Due to her level of inebriation, Alya hadn’t noticed what had been sitting in the back of his van.

            When they made it to her place, Nino managed to rouse her enough to get her from the vehicle to her bed, but it had taken awhile.  After tucking her in, he returned to retrieve the extra cargo he had brought with him.  Still being on DJ time, he set to work on his project.

            A few hours later, he was standing next to the bed with a glass of water and a packet of seltzer tablets.  Placing both items on the table next to the bed, he went about gently coaxing her awake.

            “Time to get up.”  He began coaxing her limbs into a more comfortable position. 

            Cradling her head, he worked on trying to it her up.  The snoring stopped, replaced by a grumpy whine.

            “Mmmmmhhhhhrrrrrmmmphhh……. wha?”

            “C’mon, we both know the only cure for tequila Alya is a Holybelly breakfast.”   Getting her stable and upright, Nino reached for the tablets.  He ripped opened the packet and dropped them into the water.  “How about you drink this, we’ll get you dressed, then go get pancakes.”

            Nino grabbed the glass and brought it to Alya’s lips.  She reached up with both hands, took the glass, and drained it.  With a final swallow, she held the glass out to him.

            “With a fried egg on top?”  she asked.

            “Whatever you need.”  He smiled at her, kissed her lightly on the forehead and took the glass from her hand.  “Can you dress yourself?”

            Alya nodded groggily, eyes never fully opening.  He gently slid her from his lap to the mattress before standing.

            “When you’re ready, meet me in the office.”  Nino shut the door as he left the room.

***

                        Most of Paris still slept when Marinette parked in front of Lyon Creations.  Approaching the building, she began to question the validity of Nichole’s call.  Everything appeared dark, but she tried the door anyway.  It was locked. 

            Marinette blew a frustrated breath from her nose as she dug her phone out of her pocket.  Unlocking the screen revealed a text notification.  It was from Nichole.

            “Got it handled, don’t worry about coming in.”

            Her grip on the phone tightened as she read over the text.  It had been sent right after she dropped off Adrien.  She wouldn’t have felt the vibration or heard the notification while driving, but she was upset that the cancellation hadn’t even warranted a phone call.

            Overwhelmed with exasperation, Marinette sat on the steps to think over the situation.  There hadn’t been enough time for Adrien to even start his paperwork, much less finish, and she was stuck holding a breakfast for two.  She sat up suddenly as a thought struck her.  This would be a perfect time to visit Alix. Gathering herself, Marinette got back on the scooter and took off for the hospital.

            The trip was not nearly as long or scary as she had remembered riding behind Alya. The lack of motorists out and about this morning could account for the difference.  She hoped it wasn’t too early for visitors, but found her timing to be perfect. The nurse set to take Alix’s morning vitals had been passing the desk and offered to walk her in.

            “You have a visitor.”  The nurse spoke loudly so he could be heard through the door before entering.

            Despite the sun outside, the room was just as dark as the last visit. 

            “Who is it?”  Alix’s shadowy figure turned toward the door. 

            “It’s Marinette.” 

            Alix visibly perked up at the soft voice, picking up her hand and motioning for them to enter.  The nurse stepped up to the chart hanging off of the bed and took a quick look.

            “Huh, Judy took your vitals about fifteen minutes ago, must have handled it just before shift change.”  He replaced the chart.  “Do you want to try eating something today, or should I get you prepped for the tube.”

            Alix gave a non-committal shrug.

            “Something _smells_ good.”  She stated quietly.

            “I have tea and banana muffins.”  Marinette held up the bag.

            “The tea should be fine, but the muffin might be a bit much, right now.”  The nurse chuckled.  “How about I get you a smoothie together.  We’ll try that, then work from there.”

            “Ok.”  Alix’s shoulders drooped a bit.  “Could you make it banana?  That way I can _pretend_ I’m eating the muffin?”

            “I’ll see what I can do.  I’ll be back in a few minutes.” 

            After the nurse left, Marinette brought the tea over to Alix making sure it was fully in her hand before letting go.

            “It should have cooled down to a drinkable temperature by now.” 

            Alix brought the cup to her lips and took a long slow drink.  When she pulled it away, a satisfied sigh escaped her lips. 

            “That’s the first thing I’ve actually tasted in a very long time.”

            “I’m sorry.”  Marinette took a seat in the chair closest to the bed.

            “Don’t be.  It’s not your fault.”  Another drink.  “Kind of makes me appreciate it that much more.  Is this earl grey?”

            “Yeah,” Marinette chuckled.  “the owner of Lyon Creations has this crazy thing about bergamot oil.  Can’t get enough of the stuff.”

            “Why would that matter?”

            “Sorry,” She waved her hands despite the fact Alix couldn’t see it.  “I’m interning there.  I got a call to go in this morning, only to have it cancelled after I picked up breakfast orders.”

            “So, now you’re spending your morning with me?”  Alix brought a second hand around the drink to steady it.

            “Yep.”  She nodded, then had to remind herself that Alix couldn’t see her gestures.

            “Lucky for me.”  She took another gulp.  “You bringing this in gave me the appetite to try eating on my own today.”

            “And I get to sit and talk with you.”  Marinette pointed out.  “I think we both won in this situation.”

            The nurse returned carrying a lidded cup and a straw. 

            “We were able to blend an actual banana into the mix.”  He smiled as he switched out Alix’s tea for the smoothie.  “How was the tea?”

            “Good.”  Alix stated before putting the straw into her mouth.

            The nurse watched as she took in a few gulps.

            “How is it?”  He asked.

            “Makes my mouth feel kinda dry, can’t really taste the banana.”  She admitted.  “But I can finish it.”

            “Take your time and I’ll be back to check on you in an hour.”  He made his exit to finish his rounds.

            “Tell me more about your internship.”  Alix stated before latching onto her straw.

            “Not really much to say about it.”  Marinette admitted.  “It’s pretty much running errands, filing papers, and picking up food.”

            “Doesn’t sound like you’re learning very much.”  Alix observed.

            “Well, I got a chance to review some older designs yesterday.  Honestly it was the most I’ve learned all week.”

            “I guess that’s something.” Alix seemed to mull over the information.  “Still, seems like a waste of time.  You always had great designs in school.  I can only imagine you’ve gotten better.” 

            “Let’s just say I have a standing offer from Agreste Designs.”  Marinette chuckled.  “Even though I’m dead set on breaking in on my own steam.”

            “Headstrong and focused.  Sounds a lot like the Marinette I remember.”  A small smile cracked from Alix’s lips before she resumed drinking her smoothie.

            “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”  Marinette thought out loud.

            Alix nodded in response, straw still in her mouth.  An empty slurp echoed through her cup.  Marinette reached out to take the empty cup from her hand.

            “If you weren’t here, that nurse would have sat there and waited for me to finish that.”  She placed her hands in her lap.

            “I honestly can’t imagine going through everything you have.”  Marinette sat back in her chair.  “Makes some of the stuff I’m going through feel petty by comparison.”

            “Complain to me.”  Alix settled back against the elevated mattress.  “Let me live through you for a few minutes.”

            “Ok.  I guess I should start with the coffee orders…”

***

            “Murrnnnhhh.”  Alya ambled through the office door hunched over, hair covering her face.

            “Good morning, sunshine.”  Nino handed her a cup of coffee.

            “Nnnnnnhhhhmmmnn.”  The mug disappeared behind her curtain of hair.  From the slow, occasional movement, he assumed she was drinking it.

            “When you’re ready to come out of there, I have something to show you.”  He waited patiently as she drained the mug. 

            Gradually, she stood straighter.  The hair began to fall back naturally and rest on the front of her shoulders.  Her groggy eyes glared at him over the top of her drink.

            Nino beamed at her.  Leaning in, he placed a light kiss on the mole sitting over her right eye.  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out her glasses and slipped them onto her face.

            “You’ll need these to see the surprise.”  He pulled back, pride practically spilling from his face. Stepping aside so she could see the results of his effort.

            Alya blinked a few times, trying to focus.  She stared, unbelieving in what she saw in front of her.

            “You bought me a new computer?”  She took in the three large monitors and one of the largest towers she’d ever seen.

            “And upgraded the servers for the Ladyblog.”  Nino practically vibrated where he stood. 

            “Thank you?”  She brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose.

            “How bout we go get some food in you before I start showing off what this thing can do?”  He came up behind her and placed a hand on each shoulder.

            “That’s probably for the best.”  She grumbled.  “Right now, I’m not sure if I should hug you or kill you.”

***

            “Wow, Nichole sounds like the absolute worst.”

            “I don’t know, I’m sure she has her reasons…”  Marinette defended.

            “You’re too nice.”  Alix spoke through a wide yawn.

            “Maybe I should go, you seem tired.”

            As Marinette rose from her chair, Alix’s hand shot out in her general direction.

            “No, wait!  This might sound kind of weird, but can you just stay with me while I sleep?”

            “Sure.  May I ask why?”  She sat back down.

            “When you were here the other night, that’s the longest I’ve slept on my own.  I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about being around you that makes me feel calmer.  Helps me relax.”

            Silence filled the dark room as Alix slipped into a calm sleep.  Marinette used the time to think.  Something about Alix’s comment stuck with her.  She was pretty sure Adrien had said the same thing.

***

            Alya popped the egg yolk so the yellow liquid could run all over her pancakes.  Nino watched with a little disgust as he drizzled syrup over his plain cakes.

            “So, what’s the first thing you’re going to do with your new computer?”  He asked.

            “Turn it on.” She shoved a yolk-soaked triangle into her mouth without looking up at him. 

            “Fair enough.”  He began cutting into his own breakfast. 

            Nino felt a nudge against his foot.  Looking up, Alya was still engrossed in her own meal.  When he looked back down at his plate, there was another nudge to his foot.  A mischievous look crept over his features before he reached forward with his own feet.  He pinned one of her feet between both of his own. 

            His eyes rolled up in his head to glance at her from across the table.  She was staring at him in the same way.  When their eyes locked, she brought up her free foot to trap one of his feet between her own. 

            To other people in the restaurant it looked like they were cutely holding each other’s feet while enjoying their breakfast.  In reality, it was a battle of wills.  They both continued with their meal, feet locked under the table.  Just as they were finishing their last bites, Nino relaxed and released her foot.

            “I win!”  Alya declared. 

            He looked at her dreamily, taking her in as she did a private dance.  Little did she realize, her reactions to small victories such as these were his prize. 

            “Are you ready to head back so I can show off your new computer?” 

            “I don’t know why you did that without asking me first.”  She huffed.

            “If I’d asked, would you have let me do it?”  He tilted his head toward her as he asked. 

            “No.” Her shoulders and expression dropped at the admission.

            “And I would have done it anyway.” Nino countered.  “Besides, I’ve wanted to do this for you for a while.  I work with computers, and the most important person in my life is running a system that can’t even support the newest OS.”

            “So this is a matter of pride?”  She cocked an eyebrow at him.

            “Look, I don’t need to protect you from the world.  Hell, you could probably kick my ass ten ways to Sunday.  You spend a lot of your time doing things for others, this is the one thing I can do for you.  I built it from scratch, so we can upgrade the individual parts as needed.  In the long run, it’s better than the pre-boxed POSs the government budget allows for you.”

            “Not to mention I have multiple monitors, now.”  Alya brought a finger to her chin in contemplation.

            “Don’t forget a webcam.”  Nino pointed out.  “Now you can do group sessions with the people over the net.”

            “Ok.”  She perked up. “You win.”

***

            When Jalil checked in at the nurse’s station, he was surprised to hear that his sister currently had a visitor.  After a quick description, he guessed that it was Marinette.  Honestly, he was surprised she would be making good on her promise so soon.

            Upon entering the room, he could see both girls were napping peacefully.  Marinette leaned from her chair onto the bed, head cradled in her arms.  Alix’s hand was sitting gently on her visitor’s head.  He would have been touched if it weren’t for the smell of tea and baked goods that invaded his nose.

            Jalil’s eyes locked onto the disposable cups and muffin wrappers that sat on the small bedside table.  In a quick motion, he stepped up to the bed and pulled Marinette back by her shoulder.  The shock on her face did nothing to dissuade his anger.

            “What are you doing!”  He rasped in an angry whisper.

            “She _was_ helping me sleep, but you put a stop to that.”  Alix’s response glued Jalil to his spot.

            “Are you OK?”  He turned his attention to his sister.  “I know the smells can trigger attacks…..”

            “They what?”  Marinette stood up.  “No one told me, I’m so sorry.”

            “It’s fine.”  Alix interrupted.  “I didn’t have any problems.  I even managed to take down a smoothie on my own.”

            “You did?”  Jalil was honestly surprised.

            “With banana.”  Marinette offered.  “The nurse brought it to her when I came in this morning.”

            “And I was sleeping pretty well until _you_ came barging in.”  Alix groused. 

            “Are you mad at me?”  He asked cautiously.

            “More like annoyed.”  She crossed her arms and pouted.

            Moisture welled up in Jalil’s eye before he rushed forward and wrapped his arms around his sister. 

            “That’s the most emotion you’ve shown in a long time.”  Careful not to squeeze her too tightly, he let his tears flow.

            “I think this is my cue to leave.”  Marinette stood and quickly gathered the leftovers from her visit.

            “Thanks for coming!”  Alix called from her brother’s grip, not knowing she had already left.

            When Jalil finally released her, he stood up and looked down at his sibling. 

            “Are you really okay?” 

            “Yes, still a bit sleepy, though.”  A yawn pushed its way past her lips.

            “And you were able to drink the smoothie without any problems?”

            “Yes.” The roll of her head implied she was rolling her eyes.

            “Do you think you’d be up for another visitor?”  He asked.

            “Did you bring Kevin with you?” 

***

            Adrien was responding to emails when his phone rang. 

            “Hello?”

            “Have you had lunch yet?”  Marinette’s voice greeted his ears.

            “I was just about to head out.”  He leaned back in his chair, smiling.  “When will you get here?”

            “Already here.  Just waiting on you.”

            “I’ll be right down.”  Adrien hung up and shut down his computer.

            The elevator could not carry him down fast enough.  He was practically giddy when he exited the building to find her standing at the bottom of the steps.  Rushing up, he scooped her into his arms and spun her in in a happy hug.

            “I should surprise you more often.”  Marinette giggled as her feet reconnected with the ground.

            “That’s what I keep telling you.”   The smile on his face added brightness to his words.  “What did you want to do for lunch?”

            “Well..”  She fidgeted in her spot for a moment.  “I saw a cute outdoor place on the way over.”

            “I know where you’re talking about.”  He grabbed her hand gently.  “We can walk there.”

***

            “I still don’t know how you got me out of bed before nine on a Saturday.”  Alya opened the apartment door.  “The way you were acting, I thought I had slept most of the day.”

            “It’s healthier for your sleep schedule if you wake up at the same time every day.” Nino countered.

            He rushed past Alya through the front door and took off for the office.

            “Sound advice coming from the guy who hasn’t kept a regular sleep schedule since he was a teenager.” She crossed her arms as she caught up to him.

            “I said _your_ sleep schedule.”  He offered her the rolling task chair.  Alya flopped into it and spun to face the set-up on her desk.  Nino pointed to a silver circle on top of the black mid-sized tower.  “That’s the power.”

            Alya slowly reached out and pressed the button.  A ring of blue light appeared around the circle, accompanied by a quiet whir.

            “Whelp.  I’ve achieved my goal today.”  She stood up and left the office.

            Nino’s jaw dropped as he looked between the computer and the office door.  On the fourth sweep, Alya popped back up in the doorway.  A big mischievous grin plastered across her face.

            “I’m kidding.”  She approached Nino and wrapped her arms around him.  “Just the fact that it’s already on the log-in screen makes it a million times better.  I wouldn’t be surprised if I needed this more than even I thought.”

            Nino smiled and led her back to the task chair. 

            “Ok.  Let’s get your credentials set up, then I’ll show you how to set up the new features on the LadyBlog.”

***

            “How is there no one bothering us.”  Marinette asked before taking a bite from her sandwich.

            Adrien looked around the area.  He pulled a spoon from his mouth and placed it back into his bowl of soup.

            “It may or may not have something to do with me leaking that I was out of town.”

            “You didn’t.”  She sent him an incredulous look. 

            “Hey.”  Adrien brought his hands up defensively.  “The plan was to meet at the mansion.  I figured you wouldn’t want to get mobbed by crowds of photographers when you came through the front gate.”

            “You’re right.”  She conceded.  “Still, you know how I feel about liars.”

            “It’s not a total lie.”  He pointed out.  “We don’t live in the city.  Technically out of town.”

             A blush came over Marinette’s cheeks as she swallowed a bite of her sandwich.  The flush of color brought a smirk to Adrien’s face.  He cocked a questioning eyebrow in her direction.

            “You just said _we_ don’t live in the city.”

            “Well, _we_ don’t.”  He brought another spoonful of soup up to his lips.

            “You weren’t kidding.”  Her eyes grew wide with realization.  “You really did move in with me.”

            “I thought I made that pretty clear…….”  Adrien’s brows furrowed with confusion.

            “No..no..no.”  Marinette assured him.  “You did.  It’s just….”

            She tapped her bottom lip as she considered her words.  Adrien pushed his soup to the side and brought his elbows onto the table, propping his hands on his knuckles as he attentively waited for her to continue.

            “You know how you can _know_ something, but it doesn’t really hit you until later?”

            He made no response, so Marinette took a deep breath and continued.

            “Do you remember that day we skipped school to look at the clouds?”

            He nodded.

            “Even though Tikki’s leaving was the reason I was sad; she was the first person I wanted to talk to when I got home that day.  I ran up to my room and ‘Tikki!  You’ll never guess what happened today!’ just came right out.  It made me sad all over again.  I knew she was gone, but I don’t think it really hit me until that moment.”

            Adrien reached out and covered her hands in his own. 

            “I get it.”  He glanced down at the ring on his finger.  “Sometimes, I still talk to Plagg.”

            Her eyes made their way down to the same piece of jewelry his own were trained on.

            “Sorry to bring down the mood.” 

            Adrien lifted his hand to cradle her chin, forcing her to look at him.

            “You have nothing to apologize for.  I’m the one who pressed.”

            A small smile wormed its way onto Marinette’s face.  Adrien mirrored it on his own.

            “We should probably get on with the rest of our day, huh?”

            “Yes,” he responded.  “But I have one more thing to talk with you about.”

            “I’m all ears.”

            Chuckling lightly, Adrien sat upright in his seat and began to rub the back of his head.  His hand came to rest at the base of his neck.

            “You know how the company is turning thirty this year, right?”

            “Mmm hmm.”  Marinette nodded.

            “They’re having a big company dinner for the executives and people that have been around twenty years or more.  I have to be there, for obvious reasons, but now that we aren’t hiding anymore, would you come with me?  At the very least for moral support.  You know how I can get with too many people around and..”

            She cut him off by placing a hand on his elbow. 

            “I’d love to.”  She beamed at him.  “Besides, it will give me a chance to wear the dress I made for my final last semester.”

            “Darn it!”  Adrien snapped his fingers and grinned.  “You have discovered my ulterior motive.”

            With a playful push against his shoulder, Marinette stood up.

            “Shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!   
> Regular readers may have noticed that there is a final chapter count attached to the fic. I've had an overall outline from the beginning, but I sat down and broke the whole thing down into chapters. There maybe more if it ever feels like there is too much packed into a single chapter, but I never intended on more than 30 and want to have it wrapped up before December. Essentially, I sat down and wrote out a rough draft of the rest of this story on paper. All I have left to do is actually polish and type it up. I have a very busy lifestyle, so I will still plan on posting once a week, there just may not be anymore bonus chapters. Worst case scenario, they will be a day late because I do not have computer or internet access on post day. 
> 
> Thank you again to everyone that is reading this story. I truly appreciate the you spending your precious time with me.


	18. Family Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night out with Tom and Sabine

            Adrien couldn’t remember the last time he had come through the main gate without dodging photographers.  There was almost an eerie calm surrounding the outer wall of the mansion.  Marinette parked the bike in the courtyard and the couple dismounted.  She ran her hand through her hair after removing her helmet.

            “I might have to head back to the apartment.”  She said sadly.

            “Really?  Why?”  He questioned after removing his own helmet.

            “I’m not really dressed for the restaurant tonight, and I didn’t have time to do my hair.”  Her eyes were downcast as she rattled off her reasons.

            Adrien put a hand on Marinette’s shoulder, causing her to look up at him.  His eyebrows were cocked in a questioning manner that fought with the mischievous grin cracking over his lips. 

            “You are at the home base for one of the world’s top fashion design houses.  Not to mention my status as a formal model.  I’m pretty sure you can find everything you need right here.” 

             Marinette’s eyes widened at the suggestion.

            “I don’t know if I could.  That’s just too much.”  Her head shook as she spoke.

            Adrien wasn’t going to give her time to argue.  He grabbed her wrist and began gently pulling her up the stairs.

            “I insist.”  He stated. 

            Once inside, he led her up the main staircase to a hallway she had never been down.  Adrien’s smile grew larger as he approached one of the doors.  He stood inside of the doorframe with his hand on the knob.    

            “Prepare to be amazed.”

            He opened the door and stood back so that Marinette could take in the room.  She marveled at the space which could easily hold four of her apartments.  Natural light filtered in through the large skylight, highlighting the packed garment racks lining the far wall.  Several small raised pedestals surrounded by mirrors were disbursed along the wall opposite the garment racks.

            “Why is this room here?”  She stepped up to one of the garment racks to inspect the cloth.

            “You know my father did all of his work from home.”  He swept his hand around to indicate the entire space.  “This was where he tested all of his personal designs.”

            Adrien led Marinette to a gap between the garment racks and through an open doorway.

            “And this was his work room.” 

            This room was about half the size of the first.  It had a drafting table, three long tables, several dress forms, a serger machine, and sewing machine.  Various threads, pins, needles, and fabric bolts were scattered on the available surfaces.  Design sketches and fabric bolts were pinned to the walls. 

            “I know the models he made these for tend to be taller than you, but I know you could alter anything you pick out.”  He explained.

            Marinette stood in stunned silence.  It took a moment for her brain to process exactly what was happening.  She was being offered the chance to work in the personal studio of her favorite designer and the ability to wear a possibly unreleased design.  Her teenage self’s brain would have shorted out at that exact moment.  She took a deep breath and centered herself before looking at Adrien.

            “I don’t know what to say…”

            “Don’t say anything.”  He pulled her close and planted a chaste kiss on her lips.  “I’ll leave you to it.  I’m going to go for a run.”

            Adrien’s smile dropped as soon as he left the room.  The look on her face made him very happy, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.  The constant presence of this feeling was beginning to wear on him.  He hoped some exercise would help dispel it in time for dinner.

***

            “I’ve set it up so you can keep this screen dedicated to the LadyBlog.”  Nino placed his hand on the far right screen.  “The webcam is here...”

            “I know how a computer works.”  Alya crossed her arms and leveled a glare at him.  “I’m just as tech savvy as you are.”

            “Sorry, Babe, I’m just really excited.”  A yawn followed his statement.

            “And really tired.  Go take a nap.”  She pointed to the open office door.

            “I’m resetting my clock.”  He yawned again.  “It will be easier for me to just stay awake.”

            “I’m calling BS.  Go lay down. I’ll wake you up in plenty of time to sleep tonight.”

            They started glaring down at each other.  One waiting for the other to give in.  Another yawn caused Nino to break away.  He rolled his eyes and made a slow march out the door. 

            “Use the bed!”  She shouted once he was out of sight.

            Once she was satisfied that he was laying down, Alya decided to check out her new computer for herself.  She opened up her video chat software and noticed that Marinette was available via her phone.  She clicked on the contact and waited for her friend to pick up.  There was a small delay as the video feed connected.

            “Hey, girl!”  Alya smiled as she saw Marinette’s face fill the screen.  She noticed the fabric squares and sketches pinned to the wall in the background.  “Are you interning today?”

            “No,” Marinette answered with a half-smile. “but you’ll never guess where I am.”

            “You’re right.  I won’t.”

            “I’m in Gabriel Agreste’s private studio.”  Excitement practically bubbled through the screen.  “The one in the mansion.”

            “Oh!  So you’re in town?  Would you like to go on a double date with Nino and me tonight?” 

            “Sorry.”  Marinette scrunched back into her shoulders in slight embarrassment.  “You know that family dinner I told you about?”

            “Yeah.”

            “Adrien kinda surprised me by turning it into a date between just the two of us.”  A blush crossed Marinette’s pale cheeks.  “So, the dinner got moved to tonight and he gave me full reign of the private studio to pick out my dress for tonight.”

            “That sounds amazing!”  Alya agreed.  “Why don’t we all just meet for brunch tomorrow?  We can talk and the guys can hangout.”

            “Sounds good to me.”  Marinette nodded.  “I have to finish hemming this dress.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

            The screen went blank before Alya could say goodbye.  It was then she realized they hadn’t even picked a time or place.

***

            Adrien jogged back up to the entrance of the mansion. The underlying feeling of anxiety still ran under his skin, but was lessened by the aching in his overworked muscles.  He sighed with relief as he entered into the foyer.  The air chilled his sweat glazed skin.

            He made his way up the stairs and towards the studio.  The light whirring echoing down the hallway caused him to pause for a moment.  It had been a long time since he had heard that sound filling the hallway.  After his mother’s disappearance, Adrien never dared bother his father while he was working.  Tending to avoid the area altogether.

            A smile softened his features as he entered the studio.  Marinette was hunched over the sewing machine pushing cobalt blue fabric under the needle.  Her brow furrowed in concentration as she worked.  He waited quietly, leaning against the doorframe as he watched her work.  When the motor stopped he spoke up.

            “How’s it going?”

            Marinette turned from her work to look at him.  A smile graced her features, causing her eyes to sparkle.  Her enthusiasm with fashion always made his heart skip a beat.

            “Just finishing the hem on this adorable tea-length sleeveless dress.”

            “Good to know.”  He winked at her.  “I’d hug you, but I’m pretty disgusting right now.  So I’m going to shower and get ready.  There’s a bathroom and make-up area next door if you want to use it.  Should be some shoes in there too.”

            “Thanks.  I just need to press this.”  She beamed with excitement.  “Oh!  We’re meeting Alya and Nino for brunch tomorrow.  Is that okay with you?”

            “Sounds great!”  He smiled back at her. 

            When she turned back to the machine, he made his way out.  The trek from the studio to his old room reminded him of the how large and empty the mansion could feel.

             Adrien hadn’t realized how much he’d been missing a good shower until he had stepped under the head in the private bathroom.  Not having to stoop down to wet his hair was a luxury he had forgotten in recent history.  The tension that fell away from his shoulders to a point he almost blamed his recent anxiety on the lack of a decent shower. 

            The thought was a short-lived one.  As he stepped out of the shower, the now familiar buzz settled back in under his skin.  It was more confusing to him than anything else.  As a whole, things were going great.  The love of his life was publicly acknowledging their relationship and her parents were their biggest supporters.  Working for the family company had actually become easier since promoting Nathalie.  It had been a few months since he last spoke to his father, but that was nothing new. 

            Adrien leaned over his hands as he stared into the bathroom mirror.  The person looking back at him appeared way more grown-up and confident than the he actually felt.  He wondered if his anxiety was self-perpetuating.  All that worry could just be a side-effect of his own personal insecurities.

            Taking in a deep breath, he shifted his gaze to the ring on his finger.

            “I could really use one of your sarcastic pep-talks right about now.”

            For a brief moment, he thought he felt a warm pulse come from the ring.  He quickly shook off the thought.  He’d just finished a hot shower.  Of course the ring would still be warm. 

            Pushing himself off of the bathroom counter he made his way to the closet to finish getting ready.

***

            “Mama says the driver just picked them up.”  Marinette chimed from the passenger seat.  “And that they really could have driven themselves.”

            “I told them I would take care of them tonight, and I meant it.  Besides, this way we know we’ll arrive at the same time.”  Adrien switched his tone to one of mock anger.  “Though we would have been there first if you hadn’t made me change my tie.”

            “It’s cute that you wanted to match my dress, but your eyes look better with green.”  She gave a playful pout at him.  “And I like looking at your eyes.”

            “Okay, okay.”  He relented.  “I like looking at your eyes too.”

            They rode in a comfortable silence as they made their way to the restaurant.  Adrien made a point of opening Marinette’s door at the valet stand.  When Marinette’s parent’s pulled up behind them, he made a point of doing the same for her mother.

            “Trying to show me up, son?”  Tom came around from the other side of the car and pulled Adrien to tight hug.

            “Never.”  Adrien smiled as the larger man released him and moved onto Marinette.

            “How are you?”  Sabine touched Adrien’s shoulder and they exchanged bises. 

            “Doing better.” He responded.  Turning to Marinette he grinned.  “Points.”

            Tom and Sabine looked to her in confusion.  Marinette rolled her eyes.

            “You greeted him before me, so he gets points.”  She explained.

            Sabine turned her smile on Adrien and reached up to tap him lightly on the cheek.

            “I’ll make a point of doing it more often.”

            Adrien puffed out his chest and beamed smugly over at Marinette.  She simply rolled her eyes and indicated the restaurant.

            “Is anyone else as hungry as I am?”

            The group made their way into the restaurant and up to the hostess stand.

            “Bonsoir, Monsieur Agreste.”  A brunette in a black dress greeted them.  “We have a semi-private booth waiting for you, will that be alright?”

            “That will be fine, Angela.”  Adrien flashed her his best model grin. 

            The restaurant was full of people, but all conversation was a low hum accented by clinking glasses and silverware on plates.  As they approached their table, a gentleman in a crisp white dress shirt and black slacks stood at the ready.  The lighting was low, allowing their semi-private booth feel almost completely private. 

            “Paulo will be your server tonight.”  Angela smiled and waited for the group to be seated before taking her leave.  “Enjoy your meal.”

            Paulo stepped up, poured everyone a glass of water, and took their drink requests. 

            “I will be back momentarily with your beverages.”  He informed everyone.  “I will also be bringing you your Calamari Alla Chef for the Antipasti.  Tonight’s salad will be a tableside hand-tossed Cesar.  The intermezzo will be a lemon sorbet followed by Pollo Saltimbocca for the entrée.  We will be finishing off the meal with a variety of small bite desserts and espresso.  Until I return, please enjoy our fresh baked bread with herb infused olive oil.”

            Paulo gave a bow and stepped away from the table. 

            “We haven’t been in here since our anniversary two years ago.”  Sabine looked around the restaurant as she spoke.  “This really is too much, Adrien.”

            “We’re celebrating a lot this week.  If anything, this isn’t enough.”  He responded before picking up his water glass and taking a slow drink.

            “Speaking of celebrating.” Tom cut in. “How did last night go?”

            “It was an absolutely perfect first date.”  Marinette smiled over at Adrien.  His glass was still against his lips.

            “First date?”  Tom’s eyes grew wide and confused.  “I thought he was going to propose.”

            Adrien choked on his water and Marinette moved to pat him against the back.  Sabine glared at her husband.

            “Kidding, kidding.”  Tom put his hands up defensively. 

            “Though we were kind of hoping you’d tell us you’d be looking for a new place together.”  Sabine added.  “Your place is way too small for the both of you.”

            At that moment, Paulo returned carrying a tray containing drinks and the first course.  After placing the items on the table he asked if there was anything else he could bring them and informed them that the he would be back with the salad station.  Once he left, Marinette responded to her mother’s statement.

            “Believe me, it’s something I’ve been thinking about lately.  I have a lot going on at the moment, but I want to wait until I finish my internship and know exactly where I will be working.”

            Adrien flashed her a questioning glance.  He was under the impression that she would always come work for him.  Had something happened in the last week that would make her change her mind?  Marinette placed a calming hand on his thigh.  It was his cue that they would discuss it later. 

            General conversation continued to flow as each course was brought to the table.  Everyone enjoying each other’s company as well as the food.  When the meal concluded, they all walked out of the restaurant together.  Everyone hugged and promised to make plans for a home cooked meal in the near future.

            Once they were on the road, Marinette spoke up.

            “Are you doing ok?”

            “What do you mean?”  Adrien was surprised by the question.

            “You’ve been acting really strange tonight.  Jumpy, almost.”  She explained.  “I’m sorry if anything my parents or I said threw you off tonight.  I’ve been explaining my housing choice to so many people lately, I gave them the stock answer without really thinking about it.  I noticed that you barely touched any of your food and were quieter than normal.  I’m sure Mama noticed too, but she just didn’t say anything.”

            “I guess I’ve been feeling a bit uneasy lately.”  He admitted. 

            There was a long moment of silence.  Marinette waiting for him to continue and Adrien not exactly sure what to say.  It lasted until they pulled into the mansion garage.

            “Why don’t we stay here tonight?”  Marinette suggested as Adrien put the car in park.

            “Really?” 

            “Yes.  It’s already been a really long day and we’re meeting up with Alya and Nino tomorrow.  I would rather just head back tomorrow afternoon.”  She placed an arm on his shoulder and rubbed it gently.  “Besides, the showers here are way nicer.”


	19. Food Smells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lazy Sunday for our heroes.

            The aroma of fresh coffee nestled itself into the nooks and crannies of Marinette’s sleeping brain.  This was not the manufactured smell from commercial establishments.  This was the wholesome one of a kind scent that comes from a private blend of carefully roasted beans.  One that was unsullied by sugary syrups and heavy creams. 

            As she cracked open her eyes, the fluffy whiteness filling her vision caused confusion.  This was not the bare brick wall she usually saw.  Slowly the memories of the previous night came back to her.  The fluffy white objects surrounding her were pillows.  She and Adrien had decided to stay in the city the night before. 

            Her day had been longer than she realized the night before and she had passed out the moment she touched the mattress. She did not remember changing into the oversized t-shirt and lounge pants she now wore, but it would not have been the first time Adrien had dressed her and tucked her into bed after pushing herself too hard. 

            Next, she noticed that she was alone.  Slipping out from under the duvet she used the momentum of a stretch to exit the bed.  She sleepily made the trek from the room to the kitchen.  The closer she got to her destination, more delicious scents began to mingle in with the coffee.  Cinnamon and warm butter beckoned her ever closer as it caused her stomach to growl. 

            Her lazy shuffle carried her into the kitchen and across the floor to the press sitting on the far counter.  She numbly reached into the cabinet overhead and pulled out a mug. She filled it with the dark warm liquid from the container in front of her.  Slowly, she brought the mug up to her mouth and took a long sip.  She turned around and leaned against the counter before pulling the mug away from her face.  Three sets of eyes looked back at her.

            “Morning, Beautiful.”  Alya broke the awkward silence from her position next to Nino at the breakfast bar.

            Adrien smiled at Marinette as he dropped a pat of butter into the hot pan on the stove.  It was adorable the way she blinked while processing the situation.  She shifted her gaze back and forth between the three people in front of her, finally settling on a him with a questioning look.

            “I wanted to let you sleep in.”  Adrien explained.  “So, I called Alya.  Turns out, you never set up a time or place to meet up.  I invited them over here and started to make breakfast.”  He held up a spatula in one hand then used it to push around the contents of the pan that he held in the other.  A genuine smile was on his face as he gave the explanation.  He hadn’t smiled like that in a long time and Marinette took a moment to admire it. 

            She had been so distracted that she didn’t notice Alya walk up and lean against the counter next to her.  Marinette jumped a little when she felt the gentle hand on her shoulder. 

            “You know, it was awfully convenient to just hop over here this morning.”  Alya shot Marinette a look over her glasses.  Marinette met it with an eye roll.

            “You sound like my parents did last night.”  She took another sip from her cup.  “Lucky for everyone, I’m going to start looking for a new place once things calm down.  I’m still getting used to my new schedule with the internship.  My overall goal is to have a new place picked out by the end of the summer.”

            “I’m going to hold you to that.”  Alya promised.

            “You aren’t the only one.” Adrien chimed in, then turned back to cooking and his conversation with Nino.

            “By the way,” Alya continued.  “that’s a pretty sweet scooter I saw on the way in here.  Is it a Tryptik?”

            “Yeah.”  Marinette nodded.  “It’s made life so much easier.  I think I’m going to start visiting Alix on my lunch breaks.  I might just go crazy if I have to keep eating quietly by myself.”

            “A full week in and people still won’t talk to you?”

            “I know!”  Marinette agreed with light sarcasm.  “As articulate as I am, everyone should want to talk with me.”

            Both women had a private giggle at the comment.

            “Food’s ready.”  Adrien called over to the duo.

***

            “I have to admit; it was nice to have a meal in an actual dining room, at an actual table.” Marinette conceded as she handed another dish off to Alya.

            “I wish we could stay longer, but I have some cleaning to handle and a group video chat scheduled with people that weren’t able to make it to Friday’s meeting.”   Alya shut the door to the dishwasher after placing in the final plate.

            “Maybe we can meet up again later this week?  Make it a double date?”

            “Sounds like a plan.”  Alya wrapped her arms around Marinette.  “We’ll hash out the deets later.

            “I’ll walk you to the door.”  
            “No.  I still have to grab Nino.”  Alya stepped towards the kitchen exit.  “We’ll show ourselves out.”

            Marinette followed Alya into the main foyer before splitting off to head back to the studio.  Alya’s voice calling for Nino followed her down the hall.  A quick sweep of the racks turned up a black collared shirt and red slacks.  Even though they were a little long, she was able to roll up the bottoms.  It would be good enough to get her home.

            Marinette decided to take advantage of the decadent baths before heading out.  Unlike the tub at home, she could stretch out and soak in the warm water without her feet sticking out.  The tension of the week seemed to flow from her shoulders into the water.  She was about to drift off when she felt a warm flush from her ears.

            “Maybe there are disadvantages to such a nice bath.”  She spoke out loud to herself.

            Marinette got out of the tub, toweled off, and got dressed.  Her next mission was to find Adrien.  After quietly wandering the halls, she found him sitting at the smaller dining room table, polishing her helmet.  She stood in the doorway for a moment watching him work meticulously at buffing out things she couldn’t see.

            “Everything okay?” 

            “Hm?”  Adrien hadn’t noticed her enter.  “No, just noticed a smudge on the eye shield.  Wanted to make sure you’d be safe driving back.”

            “You’ll be behind me in the car, right?”

            “Actually, I’m going to stop for some groceries on the way.”  Adrien stood and brought the helmet over to Marinette.  “I’m making lamb stew.”

            “Really?  That sounds amazing.”  She took the helmet from his hands and smiled up at him.  “Care to walk me to my carriage?”

            Adrien gave a bow and brought one of Marinette’s hands to his lips. 

            “It would be my pleasure, Princess.” 

            The grin he gave her caused Marinette to smile playfully as she regained control of her hand.  She lightly pressed on Adrien’s nose with her pointer finger.

            “Silly kitty.”  She giggled and headed for the door.

            Adrien playfully chased her down the hall and into the foyer.  He grabbed the helmet back when he caught up to her and placed it on her head.  Before she had a chance to respond he opened the front door and bent at the waist.

            “Your chariot awaits.” He emphasized a flourish with his hands.

            Marinette put her nose in the air and walked out the front door.  Adrien followed her down the front steps to the scooter.  He stood and watched her get onto the vehicle.  A rustling in the bushes near the front gate caught Marinette’s attention.

            “Did you see that?”  She asked.

            “It was probably just a bird or something.”  Adrien shrugged.  “You need to get going.  Drive safe.” 

            She started the scooter and took off towards the gate with Adrien waving goodbye.  Neither of them noticed the flashes that accompanied the rustling bushes.  Once the coast was clear, a single figure emerged from the shrubbery clutching a camera.

***

            Adrien arrived at the apartment to find Marinette sitting on the bed with her sketchbook propped up on her knees.

            “I’ve always loved watching you work.”  He stated as he closed the door. 

            “Your father’s workspace gave me some inspiration.”  She never looked up from her sketching.

            Adrien stepped around the bed and over to the kitchen counter.  He set the groceries on the counter and set about gathering a pot and utensils.  While he prepped the meat and vegetables, Marinette looked up and began to follow his movements.

            “I love watching you work too.”  She commented.  A light blush traveled from Adrien’s nose to his ears as he continued on his task.  Once he finished placing the prepared food into the pot and turned on the water, Adrien flopped onto the bed next to Marinette and snatched her sketchbook.

            “Let’s see what my future head designer is working on.”

            Marinette halfheartedly swatted at him, but let Adrien look through the designs she had been creating.  The two sat close as she explained the concepts and the smell of stew filled the small apartment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Thank you so much for keeping up with this story. I’ve worked very hard at making sure I update diligently week to week. Recently, I started going to college full-time. This is on top of planning a wedding and keeping up with a household.   
> Wednesday is now my busiest day of the week and I do not have enough access to computers throughout the week to type up what I’ve already hand-written of the story. I am not abandoning this fic, just changing my posting day from Wednesday to Sunday. September 11th will be the post day for the next chapter. Then, every Sunday moving forward until the last chapter.   
> This was a decision based on my demanding new schedule and my want to maintain the quality of the writing. Thank you all again and I will see you soon for chapter 20.


	20. Mystery Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes a day starts off too good to be true.

            Marinette awoke with Adrien wrapped around her in a gentle embrace.  A glance to the clock let her know there were still a few minutes before her alarm would be disturbing them.  Watching the calm expression that sat on his face as his breathing kept an even pattern, she gave a silent giggle.  Something in her had always thought he would be a snorer.  Instead, he was a cuddler, a character flaw she could live with. 

            It suddenly dawned on Marinette she was genuinely well-rested.  The previous day obviously had a lot to do with it.  The stew Adrien made for dinner had warmed her soul just as much as it had her body.  She couldn’t hold back from giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek.

            Adrien’s eyes fluttered open at the light contact.  His goddess came into view and it was the best thing he could imagine waking up to.

            “What did I do to deserve that?”

            “Absolutely nothing.”  Marinette snuggled into his neck as she answered.

            “I should do that more often.”  He joked.

            Marinette mumbled an intelligible reply against his skin.  They enjoyed a comfortable silence until the expected alarm heralded the start of a new day.  Marinette held back a groan and pulled herself out of Adrien’s arms.

            “What do you think the chances are Nichole will just text me the coffee list if I ask her?”  Marinette asked on her way to take a shower.

            Adrien could only give a non-committal shrug.  He did not have a very good impression of this woman, but would not make any comments without ever meeting her.  He grabbed his phone to review emails while Marinette took over the bathroom.

            The smile on Marinette’s face when she came back out was quite the surprise.

            “It worked.  I sent a text asking for the full list and I got it.  No snarky comments no arguments.”

            “That’s good.”  Adrien responded. “And if there’s something off about it you have proof on your phone.”

            “True.”  She agreed. “Shower’s free if you want it.”

            Adrien set down his phone and stretched as he stood. 

            “I shower would be nice.”  He admitted.  “Would you mind packing up some of the stew for me when you make your lunch?”

            “Absolutely.  Is it okay if I take some extra for Alix today?  I’m going to try and visit her on my break.”

            “Sure, just let me know how she likes it when you get home tonight.”  Adrien smiled along with his request.

            “Deal.”

***

            Marinette stepped off of the elevator leading to the seventh floor of Lyon Creations, balancing the usual coffee order.  Today, she had a little extra bounce in her step.  The ability to pick up the order on the way in had made the morning run much smoother. 

            She should have known something was about to happen.  Voices drifting down the hall made her stop cold in her tracks.

            “Have you seen the story about the mystery girl?”  Marinette recognized the voice of the blonde receptionist from the front entrance.

            “Bekah, not only have I seen it, but I’ve made it my personal mission to find out who she is.”  Nichole responded.

            “What makes you think you can find out the identity of this girl when the photographer couldn’t even get a picture of her face?”  Bekah was skeptical of the statement.

            “I just applied to be Adrien Agreste’s new personal assistant and we both know that assistants know everything about their employer.”

            “What happened to Natalie?”  Bekah gasped.

            “She got promoted and is looking for an assistant of her own.”

            “We should totally apply together!”  Bekah gushed.

            Nichole smirked at the woman across the counter.

            “Already ahead of you.  I have an interview during my lunch break.”

            Marinette chose that moment to emerge with the morning beverages. She plastered an awkward grin on her face as she walked past the desk to hand out the drinks.  The two chatting secretaries grew silent as the intern approached.

             Marinette placed Nichole and Madame Lyon’s drinks on the desk next to a tabloid paper with a headline about a mystery girl.  A fuzzy picture of her and Adrien from the day before had been blown up in an attempt to figure out her identity.  The helmet she wore made it impossible to see her face, but anyone that really knew her might be able to figure it out from her body type.

            She broke her gaze on the object to see both secretaries staring at her.  Marinette just smiled wider and moved on without saying a word.  Once Marinette was out of earshot, Bekah turned to Nichole.

            “That is one weird girl.”

            “You have no idea.”  Nichole emphasized the statement with a roll of her eyes.

***

 

                        “I’m going to need you out of your office today.”  Nathalie explained to Adrien.  “I’ll be conducting the interviews for our new assistants in here.”

            “That’s fine.  I have a few things I need to handle down at the venue site for Saturday’s event.”

            Nathalie took in Adrien’s overall demeanor and grew concerned.

            “You still look stressed.  Did Friday not go well?”

            “Friday went great.  It’s Saturday I had a problem with.  Marinette has been getting a lot of unnecessary flak from some secretary named Nichole.  She called at a ridiculous hour on Saturday for Marinette to come down to the office, only to cancel it once she made it down to the office.  I’m sure there’s been more to it, but I can’t get much from Marinette.”  He explained.

            “You said Nichole?  That would be Madame Lyon’s current assistant, correct?”

            “Your guess is as good as mine.” Adrien answered.

            “Interesting….”  Nathalie tapped her bottom lip with her finger.  She caught herself in the thought and continued the conversation.  “Anyway, I have several promising candidates on today’s list.  I should have the positions filled no later than Monday.”

            “Don’t push yourself too hard.”  Adrien admonished.  “You’ve already got your plate full.  Shouldn’t HR be handling this?” 

            “They picked the final pool, but I insist on vetting the top candidates.  I need to find people that will be here for the long-term and can transition between assisting you and your father should he choose to get involved with the company upon his return.”  She explained.  “Over the years I’ve learned that it takes a very special person to cater to your family and this company.”

            Adrien wasn’t sure what to do with that comment, but smiled and nodded as if he understood. 

            “I’m heading to the hotel to finalize the details.  If you need anything, from me I’ll have my cell on me the whole time.”

            “Good luck, Adrien.”

            “You too Nathalie.”

***

            Marinette was freaking out.  She held everything in until she had finished passing out the morning orders, then immediately jumped into the nearest supply closet.  Whipping out her phone, she quickly fired off a text to Adrien.

            Instead of a return text her phone rang.  Hunkering towards the back of the closet, she answered with a raspy whisper.

            “What are we going to do?”

            “Honestly, I’m more surprised that you got wind of this before me.”  Adrien admitted calmly.  “Nathalie must be really overworked if this hadn’t crossed either of our desks.  Then again, it’s one of the trashier publications.”

            “Should I be worried?”

            Adrien gave a warm laugh before responding.

            “Don’t get yourself worked up.  I’m keeping my promise about no press conference, but we also knew they’d see us together sooner or later.  Enjoy the mystery while you can.  It kind of feels like old times.  If it helps, I’ll keep monitoring the situation.  I’m out of the office today, so I can keep track of what is sitting on the newsstands.”

            “Okay. I’ll let you handle it.”  Marinette bit her lip.  “I’m going to get back to work.  Text me if anything else happens.”

            “Will do.”  His voice grew further away.  “Looks good to me.”

            “Oh my, you’re busy!”

            Adrien’s voice sounded closer again.

            “Just finalizing some odds and ends for the event.  Mostly menus and schedules.  I’ve always said I’ll make time for you and I absolutely mean it.”

            “I love you too.”  Marinette smiled warmly as she hung up the phone.  With a deep breath, she straightened herself up before stepping out of the closet.

***

            Adrien smiled as he put the phone back in his pocket and turned back to the task at hand.  He had been passively approving the menu, absolutely sure the hotel knew what they were doing.  The whole reason it was chosen for the company anniversary was its reputation for handling large and prestigious events. 

            “It looks like everything is in order.”  The event coordinator commented.  “Would you like to review everything to be sure?”

            “I think you’ve got everything handled.  Is there anything else you need from me?”

            “Just your signature.”

            Once Adrien had signed the papers, he made his way out of the hotel to the nearest newsstand.  He found that only a single tabloid had the story.  From the photo, you could barely tell it was actually him much less Marinette.  He was sure Nathalie was aware of it, but had deemed it unworthy of attention. 

            He was a bit relieved at having one less thing to worry about, but it didn’t completely dispel the odd feeling that had been following him around for the last few weeks.  He has slated a lot more time for handling the event details and decided going for a run may not be a bad idea before heading back to the office.

***

            “It’s really nice of you to come visit me today.”  Alix smiled in Marinette’s general direction.  “If you keep this up, I’ll be absolutely spoiled.”

            “It’s my pleasure.”  Marinette tried to sound as cheerful as possible.  “To be honest, it’s nice to have someone to talk to that knows my secret, aside from Adrien.”

            “I know I’m not as close with you as Alya is, but I’m happy to be of service.  I think we are both kind of benefitting from this.”

            They both shared a small laugh.

            “Was there something specific you wanted to talk to me about today?”  Alix asked.

            “Initially, I just wanted to bring you lunch, but something happened today and I don’t know if I should be worried about it.”

            Alix raised her hand in a motion for Marinette to be quiet.  She paused as if listening to something that the other girl could not hear.

            “Soup’s on.”  The nurse’s voice came through the door as it opened.  “The smell of this made everyone in the breakroom jealous.”

            He entered carrying the heated stew in two foam cups.

            “Thank you for heating it up.”  Marinette took an offered cup.

            The nurse made sure that Alix had a grip on the cup before releasing it. Alix slowly inhaled the aroma of the stew, letting its warmth soak into her.  She relaxed for a moment before taking a slow sip.  The thick broth coated her throat as she swallowed and Alix could not remember the last time she had enjoyed such a meal.

            There was an odd silence in the room as she came out of her food induced calm.

            “What?”

            “You literally just inhaled that.”  Marinette said carefully.

            “I’m going to step out and make a note on your record.”  The nurse stated.  “Please press the button if it doesn’t feel like that will stay down.  You really did take that in too fast.”

            “I didn’t realize I’d even done that.”  Alix gauged the weight of the cup in her hand and found it to be empty.  “Is it weird that I want more?”

            “Let’s hold off on that.”  The nurse took the cup from Alix and stepped out of the room.

            “Should I tell Adrien that you liked it?”

            “It’d be nice if I could thank the chef myself, but yes, it was delightful.  Now, you were saying something’s worrying you?”


	21. Calm

            Adrien made it back just after lunch.  When he stepped into his office, Nathalie was seated at his desk going over a binder of notes.

            “How goes the hunt?”  He asked as he approached.

            “A few promising candidates.”  Nathalie never looked up from her task.  “I still have a few to conduct over video chat, but I can handle that from my temporary office space.”

            “Sounds like you have everything handled here.”

            “How are things at the venue?”  She sat up and pulled away from her binder.

            “They seem to have it together.  I think this is going to be a great celebration.”

            “It sound like you want to tack a ‘but’ on there.”  Nathalie observed. 

            She looked over her glasses at him to emphasize her point.  Adrien collapsed into the nearest chair and sat silently for a moment.  He brought his hands to his face and rubbed his chin in concentration.  Nathalie waited patiently for him to choose his words.

            “I feel like I shouldn’t be here, doing this.  My father started this company, made it what it is.  What have I really done?  I haven’t even finished school and I’m in charge of an international corporation.  I keep second guessing myself at just about every turn.  Then, just as I think I have a handle on things something new pops up.”

            Nathalie stood up and came around the desk to stand next to him.  She placed a hand on his shoulder and crouched so she was looking him in the eye.

            “You are doing better than you think.”  She paused to let the comment sink in. “You were able to recognize your own limitations and took appropriate action to strengthen your perceived weaknesses.  That takes a lot of insight and courage that very few people gain throughout their entire lifetime, much less at your age.  If your father didn’t have confidence in your abilities, he wouldn’t have left everything in your hands.”

            The creases in Adrien’s forehead softened as she spoke.  The speech did little to quell his latent anxieties, but it was one less thing for him to worry about at the moment.

            “So, I’m not just dropping my responsibilities onto other people?”

            “Even if you had the time to handle every little thing yourself, there is no harm in employing others with more experience.  Recognizing quality work is an asset in itself.”

            “I did promote you.”  Adrien smiled weakly.

            “Game recognize game.”  Nathalie lifted her fist up to him.

            Adrien blinked in confusion for a moment.  This was way out of character for the reserved Nathalie.  He recovered quickly and met her fist with his own.

***

            Marinette left the hospital feeling like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.  The scooter brought her back to the office just in time to see Nichole returning from her own break.  Marinette took a moment to consider the implications of riding up the elevator with the other woman and decided to hang back a moment.  She took out her phone and sent a text asking if she should pick up an order of coffees before coming back into the office.

            Nichole was about to enter the elevator when her phone buzzed in her pocket.  It was Marinette.  There was some definite regret in giving the intern access to her personal number, but in the moment it also worked in her own favor.  She had been made to wait for her interview and didn’t have time to grab anything to eat before she had to be back in the office. 

            Nichole tacked a lunch order for herself onto the usual afternoon coffee list.  The other drawback to the texting, solid proof if she provided an incorrect request.  Not that she would be so tacky as to try the same trick twice on one intern.  Still, if the interview went as well as she thought it had this little bird was never going to bother her again.

            Nichole stepped onto the elevator and took the quiet ride by herself.  She allowed herself to entertain a few what-if scenarios about what it would be like to switch jobs.  She had been with Lyon Creations for some time, but had felt recent stagnation in her career.  A move to a more recognizable company could only move her up.  She would be dealing with an entirely different level of talent and clientele.  No more people like the unrealistically lucky Marinette to bother her.

            By the time she stepped off onto the seventh floor, Nichole was genuinely smiling.  This was the most optimistic she had felt in a while and nothing was going to bring her down for the rest of the day.  Not even an annoying birdie.

***

            The last thing Alya expected when she opened her apartment door was for a hand to grab her wrist and pull her inside.  Attached to the offending hand was a familiar figure.

            “Don’t you ever go home?”  She glared at Nino as he dragged her into the office. 

            “Been there all day.  Came over when I noticed something.”  He said quickly before pointing at the computer screen.  “Look at this.”

            When Alya looked at the screen she saw graphs, numbers, and other code filling up the page.  Considering she hadn’t even been given the opportunity to take off her shoes after a long day, her brain was not quite absorbing the importance of what she was looking at.

            “What am I looking at?”

            “This is the traffic report for the LadyBlog.”  Nino explained.  “It’s a good thing I upgraded the servers when I did.  The new ones are struggling to keep up.  It would have straight up crashed the old set up.”

            “Whaaa?”  Alya brought up the blog on her cellphone.  “I’ve been monitoring all day.  There haven’t been any posts outside of the normal daily convos.  Where’s this coming from.”

            “That’s just it.  This is just people visiting.  Nearly every registered user is logged in and there are even more unregistered users going through the site.  I’d say they were all looking for something, but I haven’t been able to figure out what’s going on.”

            “I know we’re connected to a majority of the Akuma community, but there could be hundreds of people that we haven’t even been in contact with before.” 

            Alya looked at some of the other numbers dealing with the site.  There had been a considerable uptick in the number of hits within the last twenty-four hours.  She berated herself internally for not having picked up on this sooner.  Her internship took up most of her day, but this still shouldn’t have slipped past her so easily.

            “Don’t beat yourself up over it.”  Nino put a hand on her shoulder, having noticed her obvious discomfort.  “I only found out because the server sent me a warning.  I have it configured to send me maintenance emails and error codes so you can focus on your internship.  We may be dealing with this right now, but we both know it won’t take up the rest of our lives.  Eventually, everyone will start moving on with their lives and I don’t want you to struggle to catch up when that time comes for you.”  He kissed her lightly on the temple. “Until then, we’re in this together.”

            Alya looked at Nino and smiled warmly before pulling him into a hug.  He lay his cheek on the top of her head and the two stood for a moment, just holding one another.  When she pulled away, Nino lifted his head so that he could look down at her.

            “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

***

            Marinette was greeted with a wonderful smell as she entered the apartment.  Adrien was standing over a pot, stirring it slowly.  He turned to smile brightly at her.

            “How was work today?  Outside of the whole ‘Mystery Girl’ thing.” 

            “Surprisingly uneventful.”  Marinette admitted as she took off her shoes at the door.  “Alix really liked the stew.”

            “She was able to eat it?”  Adrien checked on whatever was cooking in the oven.

            “Yes.  In fact, she inhaled it.  Told me she’d like the opportunity to thank the chef.”

            That statement caused Adrien to pause.  He stood slowly and really turned to look at Marinette.  He was silent for a moment as he rubbed the back of his neck.

            “I don’t know.”  He finally said.  “Even if I had the time, wouldn’t I bring a bunch of unwanted attention to the hospital?” 

            “Wouldn’t want anyone thinking she’s your ‘Mystery Girl,’ huh?”  Marinette walked up to Adrien and hugged him tight.  “I get it.  You’ll talk to someone else when you’re ready.  Just know, I’ll be here to support you in every way I can.”

            “I know.”  His expression softened as he returned the hug.  “For tonight, would you mind eating the roasted chicken and red potatoes I made?”

            “I think I can handle that.”  She beamed as she stepped away from him.  “Should I  go ahead and set the bed?”


	22. The Call

            Even though the morning had started the same as any other for Adrien, something didn’t feel quite right.  Marinette left a little earlier than normal, but that should not have contributed to the aura of unease that wrapped around him.  Surrounding air had a tangible charge, causing goose pimples to prickle over the surface of his skin as the hair on his body stood at attention.  The sensitivity of being consistently on edge made for a very uncomfortable ride to work. 

            Arriving early, Adrien took the extra time to head to the office gym for a workout, hoping it would ease the torturous miasma that surrounded him.   He divided his time between running on the treadmill, lifting weights, and repeating crunches until his muscles ached.  Sometime later, he had only managed to add being tired and sweaty to his woes.  After checking in with Nathalie, he decided to take a shower.

            The gym rarely saw any traffic in the mornings, and today was no exception.  Adrien was the only person in the white tiled room as he stepped into the personal shower stall.  Placing his personal items onto the small bench just outside of the shower area along with his towel and a change of clothes, he reached into the stall to turn on the water.

            As he stepped into the steaming stream of water the crackling energy began to gather in his toes and fingertips.  The painful sensation began to travel through his limbs as if it were filling him up from the inside, growing solid and heavy as it reached the center of his chest.  The mounting pressure made it hard for him to breathe.  Losing control over his own breathing added an element of panic to Adrien’s situation.  How long would it be before anyone came to find him if he passed out here? 

            Just as darkness began to edge into Adrien’s vision, the unbearable fear and tension broke when the first few bars of Harry Chapin’s _Cats in the Cradle_ began to echo off of the tiled walls.   Pushing through the small opening of the shower, Adrien grabbed his phone.  His hands were too wet to swipe the screen.  Scrambling, he snatched his towel from the bench to dry one of his hands.  Luckily, he managed to pick up the last moment before the voicemail would pick up. 

            “Hello?”  His mouth went dry with the knowledge of who was on the other end this call.

            “Adrien, I will have to keep this brief.”  Gabriel’s monotone voice came out of the speaker.  “I’ve received a very promising lead in the search.  I may have just found out where she is.”

            Adrien was speechless.  After all these years, his mother was not only located, but quite possibly alive.  A faint pulse from his hand refocused his attention.

            “Are you sure?”

            “The source is extremely reliable.  However, if he is telling the truth she is located in an extremely sensitive area.  I’m going full dark on this one and I wanted to talk to you, just in case something happens.  I wanted you to know just how proud I am of you and everything that you’ve done.”

            “Thanks, Dad.”  Adrien donned a wistful smile, knowing his father couldn’t see it.  “Go get her.  I’ll be waiting for both of you.”

            “Goodbye, son.” 

            Tears began to form in Adrien’s eyes as the line went dead, drawn from a source of both happiness and sorrow.  He had always been expecting this call, but had hoped he was simply worrying over nothing.  If that latent knowledge hadn’t been the original source of his anxiety, it was certainly a new contributor to brewing storm that had been following him around the last few weeks. 

Utterly defeated, Adrien took the few steps to the shower bench and collapsed.  With everything that had been going on, he finally gave in to the emotions swirling around inside his head.  Bringing the towel up to his face, he let the tears flow freely.

***

              Nathalie was checking her email when she came across one with no subject from a private address.  There was a simple message in the body of the email:

 

              “ **Initiate protocol.** ”

             

              She wasted no time.  Before leaving on his mission to find his wife, Gabriel had made plans to cover several scenarios.  He had made a will in case he never returned.  The message she received could eventually lead to that possibility, but the first step required a phone call. 

            “Hello, Dr. Fabian.”  She spoke with directed authority.  “Prepare the suite.”

            The voice on the other end simply gave a grunt of confirmation before hanging up.  Her next steps consisted of gathering files and sending emails to appropriate parties.  She was now on high alert for anything that could happen within the next few days.

            Nathalie briefly glanced at the clock as she completed her task.  It was then she realized how much time had passed since she had last spoken to Adrien.  He was going to stop by her office after finishing up his workout.  That had been at the start of the day, it was nearly lunch time.  Something wasn’t right.  She left her office as fast as her heeled shoes would allow. 

            Nathalie tapped her foot as the elevator moved painfully slow.  Adrien wasn’t answering his phone.  One of the established procedures would have been for Gabriel to call his son.  With the stress he appeared to be under lately, this call could have a larger than intended impact on the young man.

            When she entered the gym, it was eerily silent and empty.  If anyone had been inside, she wouldn’t have heard the quiet sobs coming from the Men’s locker room.  The mats covering the floor absorbed the sound of her approach, making the echoing click of transitioning to the tile an impactful noise.  The sound caused the sobbing to stop.

            “Nathalie?”  Adrien’s voice carried over from where he sat.

            She slowly strolled to the row of showers and leaned against the wall outside of his stall. 

            “I’m guessing he called you.”  She kept her tone matter of fact in an attempt to gauge his emotional state.

            His response did not come in the form of words, only a sniffle disguised as a conformational grunt.  Nathalie kept silent as she tried to analyze the overall impact of the situation.  Some shuffling noises signaled that he was up and moving around.

            The sound of a curtain being pulled back revealed the bleary-eyed blonde.  His clothes were disheveled and slightly wet.  His hair was still damp, but kinked slightly away from his skin adding to his unkempt appearance.  Without a word, he took an uneasy step towards Nathalie and fell towards her.  Reacting quickly, she gripped him under the arms and did her best to support his weight. 

            Awkwardly, she adjusted their position so she could pat his back comfortingly.  Adrien gripped the back of Nathalie’s suit jacket between his fists and began sobbing into her shoulder. 

            “Do you want me to call Marinette?” 

            Surprisingly, he shook his head against her shoulder.

            “Don’t want to bother her at work.”  His response was muddled by fabric.

            “Go home.  I’ll have a driver take you where you need to go.  I’ll handle things here today, and you let me know when you’re ready to come back.  I’m making calls to the assistants I’m hiring this afternoon.  They will be plenty helpful.  You need to focus on being ready for the event this weekend.”

            Adrien pulled away from her and nodded numbly. 

            “I should be fine by tomorrow.”  He stated.  “It’s just been so long.  I think I might have convinced myself the next call would have been him giving up.  Now, I don’t know whether to feel happy or bad.”

            “You could just accept that you feel.”  Nathalie offered.  “You don’t have to label every feeling.  Just acknowledge that you have them and that they are valid.”

            Adrien wiped moisture from his eyes and pulled himself back up to his full height.

            “Thank you.”

 


	23. Lunch With Alix

            Marinette was sitting in the hospital room with Alix when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

            “You should check that.”  Alix urged.  “It will give me a minute to dig into the sandwich you brought.”

            “Only if you’re okay with it.  I set aside my lunch to spend time with you.”

            “At no point did I say every day, but I’m not complaining.  Believe me, the only person that understands how much you’re dealing with aside from Adrien is me.”  Alix emphasized the statement with a large bite of the turkey sandwich she grasped in her hands.

            “Okay.” 

Marinette pulled the phone from her pocket to look at the message.  It was from Adrien:

_“ **Do you mind if we stay at the mansion tonight?  I want to cook you a nice dinner and enjoy it at an actual table.** ”_

Marinette smiled down at her phone as she sent a response. 

            “I’m gonna guess that the current lack of exasperated means that’s Adrien.”  Alix took another bite.

            “You’d be right.”  Marinette chuckled.  “He’s been pretty patient with me about how much he hates the apartment.  He’s sort of asking for a break from it tonight.”

            “From the way you’ve described it, I’m surprised you both fit in there at the same time.”

            Marinette had to giggle at the statement. 

            “Adrien’s actually said that a few times before.”

            “Maybe I’ll get a chance to see it if I ever get out of here.”  Alix’s tone grew somber.

            “You’re getting better, right?”

            “Yes, but not as fast as I’d like.”  She pointed to the blindfold over her eyes.  “What I want to be able to do the most is take this thing off, but the doctors are afraid I might still have such strong reactions that I’ll lose all the progress I’ve made. Then again, I’m kind of scared that the ‘other’ one might come back if I let in any light.”

            “Have you had anymore flashbacks?”  Marinette took the time to eat her own lunch while Alix spoke.

            “A few, but they’ve been a lot more manageable.  Mostly when I’m sleeping.  When I dream, I can still visualize everything as if I’m actually seeing it.  That might be what’s triggering the mild flashes, but they never happen when you’re around.” 

            Marinette paused at Alix’s statement.

            “You don’t think I have anything to do with it, do you?”

            “I have a theory on that.  It was your magic that always made everything right.  Maybe some of that magic is still hanging around you.  Too weak to hold the world together anymore, but maybe just strong enough to have an effect on the people around you.”

            “It kind of makes sense when you put it that way, but that would also mean it’s all my fault.”  Marinette drew into herself at the thought.

            “Not at all.”  Alix rushed to explain her statement.  “If it wasn’t for Hawkmoth, you wouldn’t have needed to save people from themselves in the first place.  You didn’t cause anything; I just think that you might still be subconsciously using some magical leftovers to help people out.  It’s just a part of you.  You’ve always helped people, whether it was as Marinette or Ladybug.”

            Marinette furrowed her brow as she considered the statement.  She hadn’t thought she’d done much helping recently.  The silence in the room was interrupted by a series of sharp beeps. 

            “I’m sorry Alix, I have to leave.”  Marinette stood up, but was surprised to feel a hand grip her around the wrist.

            “Don’t let something I said get you down.”  Alix hung her head.  “You’re a good person and nothing is going to change that.”

***

            When Marinette exited the elevator she was shocked to find Nichole waiting.  The sour look on the assistant’s face made the intern stop in her tracks.

            “I’m sorry, did you need to get on?”  Marinette stepped to the side.

            “No.”

            The sharp response sent a reflexive shiver down Marinette’s spine.

            “Were you waiting for me?”  Marinette pointed to herself.

            Nichole simply huffed and rolled her eyes as she turned to walk back to her desk. 

            “Did I do something wrong?”  Marinette stepped out quickly to catch up with the other woman. 

            “No.”  Nichole was almost pouting as she dropped into the chair behind her desk.

            “Ooohhkaay,” Marinette drug out the word.  “Was there anything special you needed me to do?” 

            “Is there any way for you to just not be here right now?”  Nichole growled as she began to angrily tap at her keyboard.

            “Ummm…..how about I go back downstairs and work on the backlog?”  Marinette offered.

            “Whatever.  Go away little bird.”

            Marinette lifted an eyebrow before walking slowly away.

***

            “Hi, can everyone see me?”  Alya looked at the screen full of waiting faces.

            “Yes.”  A chorus of voices came across the screen.

            “Thanks for trying out this video meeting set up.  I’ve noticed the regular meeting times don’t always work out best for everyone and now that I have the ability to get this running I want to make sure it works.  Does anyone have anything they’d like to talk about?”

            “I do.”  A soft voice drifted from the computer speakers.    

            A face framed with short blonde hair filled the main window.

            “Go ahead, Rose.”  Alya acknowledged.

            “I don’t know how things have been for everyone else, but everything has been going really well for me lately.”  Rose paused a moment.  “Honestly, it’s scaring me a little. Things were going along like usual, getting through everything one day at a time.  Then, a few days ago I wake up feeling like everything is fine.  I know everything I did and how it makes me feel, but for some reason it’s not bothering me the way it did before.  That’s the part that freaks me out.”

            “I know what you mean.”  Ivan cut in.  “It’s like before, when Ladybug and Chat Noir were still around.  Only I know I should feel bad, but I can’t.”

            “Yeah!”  A cacophony of voices began to chime in over each other.

            “Everyone calm down!”  Alya took control of the situation.  “Are you all saying you’re upset because you’re not having problems?”

            Alya stared at the screen full of nodding heads in front of her. 

            “When did this happen?”

            “About a week ago.”  Rose’s answer set off another chain reaction of positive responses.

            Alya just stared in disbelief.  She thought about herself for a moment.  When was the last time she’d had a nightmare?  Her schedule had been so jam-packed that she hadn’t even noticed the change. 

            The conversation between the others in the chat group faded into a low buzz.  A slow realization passed through Alya’s mind.   She’d been affected as well, but when?  Thinking about it, she was able to place it sometime between Alix’s breakthrough and when she first reconnected with Marinette.


	24. The Elevator

            When Marinette entered the mansion doors, she was greeted by a scent that simultaneously made her hungry and nervous.  Her original plan was to sneak in and surprise Adrien, but the air was filled with the smell of so many different dishes that she couldn’t pin down an individual one on its own.  He only cooked this much when something was bothering him. 

            Stepping into the dining room did nothing to quell her fears.  The spread on the table was beautiful, but it was just too much.  Everything down to the silverware was precisely arranged.  From her guess, Adrien had already been in the process of putting this together when he texted her around lunch time.  Whatever had gone wrong, he had been dealing with it by himself for the last few hours.  Steeling herself against the rising panic in her chest, Marinette made her way towards the kitchen.

            Quietly steading the door behind herself, Marinette’s fears were confirmed. Adrien was in his own tiny world.  He flittered between each of the miniature stations he had set up in the large kitchen.  She should have realized when he asked to have dinner at the mansion.  The apartment was too small for him to anything remotely close to this.  Her tiny counter barely held a cutting board, much less the makings of a multi course meal.

            “Adrien.”  Marinette calmly spoke out to him.

            Adrien paused in his tracks and turned to look at her.  He plastered on a fake smile that barely reached the edges of his lips, much less his eyes.  He reached up and began rubbing the back of his head.

            “Marinette?”  His eyes began darting around in search of something.  “What time is it?”

            When his sight finally landed on the clock, he began skittering around the kitchen once more.

            “I was going to have this all finished, and meet you outside….”

            Marinette slowly approached him and lightly placed her hand on his bicep, causing him to freeze and look her in the eye.

            “Adrien,” She spoke softly. “there’s enough food out there to feed all of the guests staying at Le Grand Paris.  What’s wrong?”

            “Is it that obvious?”

            Marinette paused to look at the organized mess of the kitchen.

            “I can’t remember it ever being this bad.”  She stepped over to the stove to remove a pot that looked like it was about to boil over.  “How about I help you clean this up, and you can tell me what’s on your mind.”

            A more genuine smile grew on Adrien’s face and he nodded before joining her at the stove.

***

            The next morning, Adrien stood in his office, starring at the view of the city.  Speaking with Marinette the night before had been a huge relief, but it did not quell all of the nervous energy that had been building up around him over the last few weeks.  It had become such a part of his daily life that he could not pin down the exact moment it had all began.

            The ding of the elevator and the sound of multiple people approaching pulled Adrien away from his thoughts.  He picked the click-clack of Nathalie’s heels out from the cloud of sound, but did not know who was with her.  When Nathalie appeared, she was flanked on either side by people Adrien had never met before.

            “Good Morning, Adrien.”  Nathalie nodded in greeting.  Adrien returned the gesture.

            “I’d like to introduce you to our two newest hires.”  She smiled and encouraged each person to introduce themselves. 

            A round gentleman with neatly trimmed dark brown hair and a full beard stepped up and held out his hand.

            “Bonjour!  Je m’appelle Robert.”  He was a head shorter than Adrien and had to look up when he spoke.

            Donning a huge grin, Adrien reached out and grabbed Robert’s offered hand.

            “I sense a strange accent.  I’m guessing French is not your first language.” 

            “You caught me.”  Robert chuckled.  “I’m American, but I’ve always been fascinated by French culture.”

            Adrien stepped back as they released hands and took in the medium grey suit and lack of tie Robert sported.  There was a definite sense that Robert had a large personality that took up more than just the physical space that that his body occupied.  Adrien liked that.

            “I’ve been to America a few times.  To be honest, it always makes me miss home.”

            The whole room had a friendly laugh and the tension in the room dropped a notch. 

            Adrien turned his attention to the fourth person in the room.  The long dark hair that hung past the hips of a thin frame and tapered off next to long manicured nails had Adrien guessing she was a woman, but their suit was suggesting otherwise.  Where Robert was a presence, this person was so quiet they were almost invisible. 

            “Nǐ hǎo, wǒ de míngzì jiào àidéhuá, nǐ kěyǐ jiào wǒ āi dí.”  His voice was soft, but definitely male. 

            “Nice to meet you Eddie.”   Adrien held out his hand and smiled.  He was surprised by the strong grip Eddie possessed.  It left Adrien feeling as if Eddie were much stronger than he was letting on.

            “Robert will be your new assistant, and Eddie will be joining me.”  Nathalie informed.  “I’m going to finish taking them on a tour of the building and getting them acquainted with their duties.  I believe they each bring something very valuable to their new positions as well as the company.”  She smiled knowingly.  “Come along gentleman.”

            “Nice to meet both of you.”  Adrien called out as they rounded the corner towards the elevator.

***

            Marinette was cursing her luck.  Adrien’s emotional breakdown that surrounded the news of his mother had left them with far too much food to eat on their own.  She had decided to pack a really nice lunch for Alix in celebration of her recovery progress.  Alix had been more than happy to help dispose of the extra food, but a traffic jam on her way back to work had left Marinette running behind. 

            Staying overnight at the mansion had allowed her to be early this morning, but she was sure Nichole would latch on to her being even thirty seconds behind on coming back from lunch, much less ten minutes.  By the time she had reached the elevator, Marinette was out of breath and admittedly a little disheveled.  On the ride up to the seventh floor, she had done her best to pull herself back together.

            To her surprise, when the doors opened, Nichole was not at the door waiting to hound her over this latest foul up.  Instead, the woman was seated at her desk, grinning like the cat that had just eaten the canary.

            “You picked one hell of a day to come back late.”  Nichole commented.  “Madame Lyon in waiting for you in her office.”

            Marinette stared at Nichole in shock for a moment.

            “Did I do something wrong?”

            “The longer you sit here asking me questions, the longer you are going to keep her waiting.  Is that really something you want to do?”  Nichole did little to hide the smirk she donned while delivering the news. 

            “How do I get to her office?”  Marinette readied herself to get back to the elevator.

            “Behind me.”  Nichole pointed to the door that was located behind her desk. “There’s a private elevator that will take you there.  It’s not accessible from the main one.  You better hurry.  I’m letting her know you’re on the way.”

            Marinette quickly ran past the desk and through the door.  The room appeared to be a small lobby with a couch on either wall to frame the private elevator door.  While the main elevator was a very industrial stainless steel, this one had the appearance of a dark polished wood. 

            Marinette looked around for a button to call the elevator, but became concerned when there appeared to be none for her to press.  Just as panic was beginning to set in, the doors opened on their own.  They revealed a plush burgundy carpet and more polished wood along the walls.  Stepping inside, she noticed there were no buttons on this side of the door either.  Without warning, the doors shut, enclosing her within the tiny space. 

            There was a slight shift as the metal box made its journey upward.  The ride itself was noticeably smoother than that of the main elevator, Marinette was barely able to register when it had stopped compared to the jarring sensation she had grown used to from her routine of the last week.  A slight feeling of unease began to settle into her bones as the door slowly slid open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all.
> 
> Sorry about missing last week. Hurricane Matthew made things a bit crazy. Hope you enjoyed this week's chapter. Believe it or not, we are very close to the end of this one. Thank you to everyone that has been keeping up and spent time with me on this. 
> 
> I'm still on a temporary hiatus due to some things going on, but I have this story hand written onto a hard copy. Ultimately, it is just finding the time to type up and post. 
> 
> Hope to be updating soon!


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